


Of Lightning and Long Locks

by Rhov



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Angst and Feels, Bathing/Washing, First Time Blow Jobs, Hand Jobs, M/M, Masturbation in Shower, Matchmaking, Mildly Dubious Consent, Mutual Pining, Oral Sex, Sexual Confusion, Sexual Fantasy, Sharing a Bed, Sharing a Toothbrush, Shower Sex, Suggestive Themes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-16
Updated: 2018-10-03
Packaged: 2018-12-02 17:32:52
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 39,024
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11514126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rhov/pseuds/Rhov
Summary: Everything about this mission went wrong: Laxus forgot his toothbrush and had to borrow Freed's, his sleeping bag mysteriously vanished, massive storms, road closures, delayed trains. Now, he's been cursed with something he never thought would be a weakness: his own hair. Laxus has to get through the next few days with super long hair without going totally insane or getting tangled in his own tresses. Luckily, he has Freed with him, who knows all too well how to handle long locks... and an irate Lightning Dragon Slayer.





	1. Sharing

**Author's Note:**

> _For Fraxus Week 2017, I decided to take all of the prompts and create a single story out of them. With Fraxus Eve and Bonus Day, that means 9 chapters... although my OCD is screaming at me to make 10 chapters because round numbers! Plus I would like one NSFW chapter at the end, although the other chapters can get VERY suggestive._
> 
> _Chapter titles are named after the prompts for that day. Some chapters will be long, some will be very short. I was just trying to make this story work within the given prompts._
> 
> _The "Long Locks" part will be in Chapter 3 (Day 2 of Fraxus Week, but Fraxus Eve is Chapter 1) so be patient to see Laxus with Rapunzel hair. Or Cousin Itt. The bookcover is part of a 3-part set of fanart drawn by Sass-Queen-Justine._

With how often the Raijinshuu went on missions, one would think they would be experts at traveling. They walked to avoid anyone finding out that Laxus got just as motion sick as any other Dragon Slayer. They mostly camped but sometimes stayed at inns if one was nearby. They were gone for sometimes months on S-Class missions, only the best for the strongest team in Fairy Tail.

Yes, one would think they knew precisely what to pack for these journeys, how much food, how many changes of clothes, and at least they would remember to bring their toothbrush.

One would _think_ that.

One would be wrong.

Very wrong.

The Raijinshuu were not even planning on a long mission. Two days to walk there, maybe a day or two to do the mission—a simple task for them, of course—and two days to walk back. They had not even bothered with lugging around a cart, opting for a single magical satchel that held all of their supplies, including tents, all four sleeping bags, and enough food for two weeks, just in case they got delayed by the weather. They each had placed their supplies into the satchel, where it went into a pocket dimension. It was not as elaborate as Requip magic, but it was a similar idea. Freed had not bothered to double check all of their supplies, or at least not something as mundane as toiletries.

Now, he rubbed his eyes, trying his hardest—his _very hardest—_ to remain respectful to the man he idolized.

"You … forgot … a toothbrush?"

Laxus, for all his insane power, looked like a scolded child, sitting on a tree log, arms folded, bottom lip jutting out, scowling and pretending he did not hear Bickslow and Evergreen giggling over by the campfire.

"I had it," he said in defense. "Then I used it this morning. It's probably still sitting by the sink."

"It's _always_ sitting by your sink. That doesn't explain how you also forgot your comb."

"It's … also … by the sink. Next to the toothbrush." That lower lip shot out even further as the scowl deepened.

The laughs from the campfire got louder, and Laxus' face turned red.

"That's the third time in just this year."

"The hell! Are you keepin' count now?" snapped Laxus.

Evergreen whispered to Bickslow, "Freed's playing Team Mother again. Poor Laxus might get sent to bed without his supper."

Laxus glared back at them. Maybe Freed could not hear their whispers, but he sure could.

"I don't need a comb," Laxus insisted stubborn. "My hair's fine."

"True," Freed said in disdain. "Lately, it barely looks like you combed it even on a good day."

Bickslow laughed so hard, he nearly fell into the fire pit.

"However, you'll end up with cavities at this rate."

"I ain't never had a cavity since I was a kid."

"That's because I've been reminding you to brush your teeth since the last time you ever had a toothache."

"Momma Freed, Momma Freed," Bickslow sang in a secretive whisper.

Freed shrugged widely. "It can't be helped. You'll share mine until we get to the next town."

Laxus drew back in disgust. "I ain't sharing _your_ toothbrush."

"Would you rather share Bickslow's?"

"Hell no!"

"Then you'll use mine. You may even use it first. No arguments." With that decided, the captain of the Raijinshuu returned to the campfire and set about helping to prepare dinner.

Laxus grumbled as he helped in small ways. He fetched water from the river, he hunted some meat for their dinner, and after they had eaten, he and Evergreen cleaned up everything, which was fair since it was mostly Bickslow and Freed who cooked. It was all routine for them, and they had done it this way for years.

Then it was time to get ready for bed. Freed wordlessly thrust his toothbrush at Laxus, and the look he had showed that there was no use arguing about this. Laxus snatched the toothbrush away, accepted the offered toothpaste, and took a bowl of water they had boiled for drinking. Then he went down to the river.

Their evening and morning routines were also a habit. Bickslow always went first to set up the best area for bathing, somewhere not muddy and with a slow river current. He brushed his teeth, and then took a quick dip in the river to wash off the dirt and sweat of the day. Laxus arrived while Bickslow was bathing to brush his teeth, then Bickslow handed him the soap and went ashore to dry off while Laxus stripped and washed himself. Freed would arrive next, brush, get the soap from Laxus, and wash in the river. Last was Evergreen, who always waited until Freed was dressed and gone before getting into the river to wash. She then brought back everything from the washing area.

So when Laxus walked down to the river, Bickslow was splashing in the water, his helmet off, scrubbing out his wild blue hair.

"Are you really going to use Freed's toothbrush?" he asked.

Laxus grunted as he moistened it and squirted on the toothpaste. "Like I got a choice."

"You could just not use it and say you brushed."

"Freed would know. Somehow, he always knows about me."

"Somehow, huh?" Bickslow said with a devious chuckle. He waited until Laxus already had the toothbrush in his mouth and was building up a good foam over his teeth. "You know, since that's been deep into Freed's mouth, it's sort of like he's tongue-fucking you."

Laxus spewed toothpaste all over his tiny mirror. "What the hell, Bickslow?"

He laughed, splashed around in the river, and pointed at him. "Your face is red."

"That's not even funny." However, for the rest of brushing his teeth, the mental image was stuck in Laxus' mind. This toothbrush had stroked over Freed's teeth and tongue, over his gums, to the back of his mouth. Now it was in his mouth, scouring his back molars, and the idea of Freed's tongue lapping over him would not go away. He grumbled profanity around the toothbrush and through foamy toothpaste.

Bickslow rinsed off in the river with a secretive grin. He had thought Laxus would just be a little grossed out by the implication. He had not expected his flushing cheeks to get brighter and brighter the more that toothbrush plunged into his mouth.

Laxus ended much quicker than normal. "Times up. Hand me the soap."

"That's way too fast. You should suck on Freed's toothbrush some more."

This time, Laxus looked furious. "Shut the hell up and hand me the goddamn soap!"

Bickslow knew he had pushed the joke too far. That was fine, mischief was achieved, and he could hardly wait to tell Evergreen about what he had said. When he got back to the campsite, he thumbed to Freed.

"Your turn. You might want to wash your toothbrush off better. Laxus was really shoving it into his mouth."

Freed lifted an eyebrow at the oddity of that sentence. He ignored Bickslow—he sometimes said truly bizarre things—and went down to the river.

There, he saw Laxus in the water, covered up to his hips.

When they first formed as a team and set up bathing order, Freed had insisted that Laxus go first. Evergreen went after him, then Bickslow, and Freed took the last slot as a symbol of humbleness despite being team captain. Evergreen quickly demanded that she should go last, blushing every time she went after Laxus and had to see him naked, and something about a crude remark Bickslow made early on. (He never made any sort of sexist comments after he realized Evergreen had no qualms against turning him to stone.) She insisted, she only felt comfortable seeing Freed naked since she knew he was gay, and she wanted to go last so none of the men saw her. Although Freed could have allowed Laxus to continue going first, he shifted things around so Bickslow went first and he went after Laxus. Evergreen and Bickslow winked at one another when he made that choice, but they said nothing.

Freed figured they knew. He loved to gaze on Laxus' body. It was pure admiration at first, in awe at his muscles, adoring his scars, wishing he could be like him one day. It changed over time, but he did his best to hide it. He knew his place. Laxus was the man he protected, charge by Makarov himself to be his bodyguard. He had sworn to protect him and keep him from getting into too many unnecessary fights, and one thing Freed never did was break an oath. That was worse than breaking a rule!

So the most he could do was gaze upon him from afar and feel honored to be this close and trusted.

Laxus soaped down his limbs as Freed put toothpaste on his brush. A part of Freed realized, Laxus had just finished using this, so in a way…

_Laxus was really shoving it into his mouth._

Maybe it was defiance, but Freed plunged the toothbrush into his mouth. Of course, Laxus had cleaned it off as best as he could, so there was no lingering taste, nothing that magical. Still, this brush had just been inside Laxus' mouth, and now it was in his.

He tried so hard to shove the mental images away, but they were still there. As the toothbrush moved in and out past his lips, there was no way Freed could _not_ imagine things.

Over in the river, Laxus was unusually quiet. He normally talked to Freed turning these few minutes together alone. He trusted Freed with anything, so he could admit if he was tired and ask in privacy if Freed could allow him to sleep in a bit in the morning, or he could request a back rub if a mission was hard, and Freed leaped at the opportunity every time.

Now he was left with Bickslow's teases churning in his mind.

_You know, since that's been deep into Freed's mouth, it's sort of like he's tongue-fucking you._

It had been deep in Freed's mouth, and then it had been in his mouth. Now it was back in Freed's mouth. Did Freed at all think of this as pervertedly as he had?

Of course not! Freed was so refined and serious, it probably never crossed his mind. This was sharing items with a teammate, no different than if he was sharing something with Bickslow or Evergreen. Besides, Freed had not at all hesitated to start brushing his teeth. He had not washed the toothbrush off a little extra in disgust, he had not started off with hesitation, nor had he made any comment about it at all. Laxus watched as Freed gargled and spit to finish up the cleaning. Nope, obviously he had not hesitated to share that toothbrush with a _friend_.

It was all Bickslow's fault for making him think weird things.

* * *

Freed finally cleaned off the brush and set it aside.

_It's all Bickslow's fault! He made me think some weird things._

It was just a toothbrush. The fact that it had been in Laxus' mouth meant nothing. He had washed it off, so it was not like anything lingered. It was just sharing an item.

An item … that happened to have been _inside Laxus' mouth_.

Freed ignored that and undid his hair. He began to take off his boots and loosen his jacket in preparation for washing. Laxus rose out of the river, and Freed could hardly help but _look_.

Damn! This was the best part about following after Laxus had bathed: clean and fresh, wet and breathtaking, that body on full display for no one else but him.

_Oh shit!_

Laxus normally finished washing, handed over the soap, dried off, dressed, and left, nothing else. This time, he was staring at Freed.

 _Shit, he caught me looking_.

Laxus caught the gaze, all right! Freed's eyes had trailed over his body and down, lower and lower, and he had bit his lip ever so slightly. What was that? It couldn't be…

No, this was all Bickslow's fault, making him think weird stuff. Freed's eyes just happened to be on him, that's all.

… _it's sort of like he's tongue-fucking you._

_Shit! Not now that I'm out of the river and exposed!_

He grabbed his towel and wrapped it around before anything rose to trouble. He practically slammed the soap into Freed's chest.

"Thanks for letting me borrow the toothbrush."

"Oh, sure," Freed said in distraction. Even with the towel wrapped around his middle, the bulge of Laxus' crotch protruded.

_Laxus was really shoving it into his mouth._

"Um … do you need a comb? You can use my brush. It's back at the camp in my tent."

"Much oblige." With just that, Laxus turned aside and began to dress.

Freed finished undressing in awkwardness with Laxus right there. They looked in opposite directions, both too terrified to glance around their shoulders, lest the other be looking as well.

Finally, Laxus was in his clothes. "Don't be too long. I don't want Evergreen out here when it gets dark." With that cold warning, he walked off.

Freed watched him go. Laxus had not even bothered to wait until he was fully naked. Of course, it wasn't like he was _interested_. Laxus had only been with women. Freed chastised himself. It was shameful to keep lusting over a heterosexual man. Laxus was not interested, his sexuality was not going to magically change overnight. (Okay, so there was a rune that actually could do that, but Freed would rather slit his own throat than force Laxus into sex.) He should feel honored to be so trusted and not do anything to break that bond.

He pulled off the last of his clothes and waded out into the river. After adjusting to the cold, Freed dunked down to get his hair drenched. Then he began by washing his hair as the river tried to sweep it downstream.

Laxus had walked off, but he paused in the trees. Freed had normal hearing and did not have the sensitive nose Laxus did, which meant that Laxus could hide and Freed would never know. As he watched from behind a tree trunk, he could see Freed in the river, glorious and graceful.

_I shouldn't be looking at him like this. It's not right. I'm a pervert spying on a bathing man._

Still, part of Laxus admired Freed. He looked thin in his clothes, but once those came off, his abdomen was sculpted, and his arms were all taut, sinewy muscles. He was damn strong, Laxus knew it all too well, but Freed's real power was his mind. Laxus was envious sometimes about how smart Freed was. Hell, he was one of the most prolifically educated wizards in all of Fairy Tail, Makarov included.

So yeah, his body was hot— _oh God, don't think that way; he's your teammate_ —but what was most impressive was Freed's quick wit and ability to redirect the flow of a battle.

That was what attracted Laxus to Freed first. His brains.

Freed adored him, Laxus knew that, but so did the rest of the Raijinshuu. Freed would sometimes grab him and celebrate, but so did the rest of the Raijinshuu. Freed went out of his way to pamper Laxus and did absolutely anything Laxus asked of him, from back massages to killing a person…

… but so did the rest of the Raijinshuu.

Laxus knew those three admired him to extreme levels, but the man he admired was Freed. How could a man so genius and refined ever dedicate himself to a oaf like him? What had Makarov blackmailed him with to make him agree to act as Laxus' bodyguard? No person would agree to that sort of job willingly.

They were on the same team, but the two of them shared no similar interests. They fought well together, but that alone was not enough. Freed was so serious, so sophisticated, so goddamn beautiful.

He was everything Laxus admired in a person, and that put him on a pedestal. Laxus did not want to tarnish Freed with his harsh touches and blood-tainted hands.

He turned away as Freed began to scrub down his limbs. He needed to stop doing this. Even if he could somehow convince Freed to date him, what could he offer? He made a lousy boyfriend, he knew that from experience. He barely understood the concept of love, and romance eluded him. No, even if Freed would date him out of pity, Laxus could never be a man worthy of Freed's love. Friendship was enough. He walked off and returned to the camp, feeling sickened that he had spied on Freed like that, as if even his eyes could taint the purity of that pristine man.

Evergreen went to the river next, and Freed soon returned, hair wet. He stayed by the fire to let the hair dry as he brushed it out. Laxus could barely look at him, feeling guilty for spying on Freed earlier. Then Evergreen returned, refreshed and ready to sleep. Yet there was one more problem.

"I thought for certain you brought your sleeping bag," Freed exclaimed.

"Don't look at me," Laxus snapped back. "I _know_ I did. Or at least I remember rolling it up."

Freed shook the magic satchel. "Then where is it?" He leaned his head into the large pack, and although it did not look deep, his head went all the way down to the shoulders as he searched around. "Did you bring it and forget to put it into the bag?"

"Isn't that what you were supposed to double check?" he snapped. Laxus slammed his mouth shut; he did not want to end the night yelling at his best friends. "Shit," he grumbled. He _knew_ he brought the sleeping bag when they all met together. He specifically remembered rolling it up, bringing it to Bickslow's place, and they all put their items into the satchel for the journey. _He remembered bringing it!_

Freed pulled his head up from the satchel and sighed in frustration. He had taken inventory. He had a checklist he always went through. Granted, it did not take into account every single article of clothing and toiletry item—he made a mental note to also check for toothbrushes from now on—but it definitely included four tents and four sleeping bags. He was _positive_ at least that much was in there. How in the world had he overlooked something so important?

"You'll have to bunk up," Bickslow pointed out.

Evergreen had already set up her tent. "Not with me! My sleeping bag isn't big enough for someone of your size."

"Mine barely even fits me," Bickslow said with an apologetic shrug. "It's hard to find one large enough for guys as broad as us. Two of us together would never work."

Freed dropped his head into his hands. Why was this happening _today_ of all days?

"Mine … might be wide enough. But it'd be tight."

Laxus cursed under his breath. Like hell would he rely on Freed yet again after the toothbrush incident. "I'll sleep by the fire. It's fine."

"No!" Freed said, determined and stubborn now. Laxus really would sacrifice a night of sleep for the sake of his friends, and Freed was not about to let him. "I'm thin, I have room. I will not allow you to sleep out in the cold and end up sick. Put your things into my tent. Sleep with a shirt on. I'm not having you sweat all over my back. That's final!"

Laxus loved to watch when Freed took charge, but not today, not for something like this. In battle, it made Laxus proud to see his team rise to a challenge, and Freed … damn, he was _sexy_ when he shouted out commands to the others like a general leading an army. (Laxus liked to boast that him and the Raijinshuu had the combined strength of an entire army.)

But not for this! Not when he was feeling like _this_.

He knew though, there was no arguing with Freed. He was the most stubborn man Laxus knew, and he would probably bind Laxus in runes to force him into that sleeping bag if he put up a struggle.

And Laxus hated to admit that he thought something like that would be hot!

He shoved that fantasy aside, put his unopened tent gear back into the large satchel, and stomped off to dress for bed, with sweat pants and a shirt so he did not have to feel Freed up against his bare skin. He felt like he might go insane before morning if any more lurid thoughts formed.

The rest of the evening was uneventful. They talked about the mission, planned to get to a town the next day and buy any gear that was forgotten, and then put out the fire and went into their tents. Bickslow excused himself for one last trip into the bushes to pee, but he waited until he saw Laxus and Freed disappear into Freed's tent. Then he tiptoed back to his tent and pulled out an extra sleeping bag.

Just as he was sneaking over to the satchel, Evergreen appeared, looming and glaring at him. The team had realized how sensitive Laxus' ears were, so years ago they all learned sign language so they could talk after Laxus went to sleep and not bother him with noisy chatter. Evergreen signed to him.

' _Did you steal Laxus' sleeping bag?_ '

He grinned impishly and held it up for her to see, it definitely was his. Then he shoved it down as deep as he could into the magical satchel, hiding it behind things.

' _Freed is going to be pissed when he finds that it was there all along._ '

Bickslow signed back to her, ' _Laxus will react even worse when he starts to wonder if Freed claimed he couldn't find it on purpose just to get him to sleep with him_.'

Evergreen's lips went tight as she held back a chuckle. ' _I don't know whether to hit you or hug you. Getting those two together is impossible. Did you steal his toothbrush and comb as well?_ '

' _No, that was all his own forgetfulness. I noticed before we left, but I didn't say anything. He also forgot his razor_.'

' _Laxus has such a bad memory. Seriously, he needs Freed with him as a husband so he can pack his supplies._ '

' _Then let's keep working on them. We know they like each other._ '

' _Yes, but getting either one to admit it has been impossible. It's so annoying, how stubborn they are. Like, just kiss already!_ '

' _Like you and Elfman do?_ '

Evergreen gave him a hand gesture that needed no interpretation, and she stomped off to her tent. Bickslow slipped away into his tent just as he heard Laxus start to snore. It would be an interesting morning.


	2. Morning Routine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's morning, and Laxus needs coffee... and a shave.

He needed coffee before he could deal with this shit.

"You … what?"

Nope, coffee first, then berating. Laxus groaned, feeling like such an idiot. What an embarrassment!

"You don't have a toothbrush, a comb, and now you don't have your razor. Laxus, did you pack _any_ toiletries?"

"At least he brought deodorant," Evergreen quipped, amused by the standoff between groggy and confounded Laxus versus a morning-haired, irate, probably-didn't-sleep-a-wink-because-the-guy-he-has-a-crush-on-was-sleeping-right-beside-him Freed.

Bickslow called over from a pot of boiling water they would use for tea and coffee. "You need to go to his house before missions and pack his things."

Evergreen tittered slyly with a glance to Bickslow. "Isn't that a bit like … _a husband_?"

Laxus collapsed his head fully down onto his knees. Shit! It was bad enough to realize he forgot practically half of his toiletries, which he had been _positive_ he packed in his bathroom—and probably left them on the counter. It was worse to have Freed treat him like a child. Damn, he hated that. But the absolute worst was Bickslow and Evergreen suggesting he needed a husband to sort him out.

Did they really have to say it like that?

Freed saw how mortified Laxus was, and Evergreen's comment did not help him, either. He had often gone over to Laxus' house the night before missions precisely to make sure he packed everything properly. He often fixed Laxus meals since he knew he ate poorly. He was almost always the one to care for Laxus when he came down sick. He censored some of his more garish wardrobe choices—seriously, the man had an outrageous sense of fashion when left alone—and too often he volunteered to do the grocery shopping so Laxus did not have to bother with such a mundane task.

He really was like a spouse, but it felt comfortable to be like this. He did _not_ want Evergreen and Bickslow making their domestic arrangement suddenly awkward.

"It's fine," he said with a sigh, letting his morning crankiness slip away. "Borrow mine. But it's a straight razor."

Laxus fisted up his hands in frustration. "I can't."

"I told you, it's fine—"

"I can't fuckin' shave with a straight razor, okay? I tried once with Gramps' razor and needed Porlyusica to stitch my face together."

"Fine. Bickslow?"

Bickslow pulled out his toiletry kit and showed he also used a straight razor.

"Fuckin' hell," Laxus grumbled. "Don't tell me you use one too, Evergreen."

"No, but mine is for ladies, and you are _not_ dulling it with that rough stubble."

Laxus leaned up and rubbed his face. "It ain't that bad. I'll just let it go for a day."

"You most certainly will not!" Freed decreed. "We are representing Fairy Tail. We will not walk around scruffy and sloppy. That simply will _not_ do."

Dammit, it was too early in the morning for Freed's theatrics. Where was the coffee?

" _I_ will shave you," he insisted. "I've shaved men before, so I know how to do it."

Laxus glared over through pre-coffee haze. Freed had shaved men? When? Had he worked in a fucking _barbershop_ as a kid?

"Whatever," he grumbled. Freed had that look again; it was no use arguing.

While Laxus glared at the ground and Freed poured the boiling water over the coffee, Evergreen and Bickslow quickly signed to one another again.

' _He is so totally whipped._ '

' _Why are these two not married yet?_ '

' _Because they're both so stubborn_.'

"Get to work on breakfast, you two," Freed said, still looking down at the coffee, but he knew his teammates too well. Silence like this meant sign language.

They ate and had coffee. Laxus felt less grouchy, and Freed eased out of sleep-deprived crankiness. Evergreen took the plates to the river to wash them and so she could shave her legs with running water. Bickslow pulled out a mirror, hung it from a tree, and began to lather his face. Morning routine started.

"Sit," Freed said, pointing to a fallen tree log they had been using. Laxus flopped down and scowled straight ahead, ignoring Freed as he arranged his supplies. "Chin up."

He lifted his head, and Freed applied a thick lather of shaving foam. Whatever he used smelled good.

"Are ya sure you know how to do this?" Laxus asked, eying the long blade.

Freed prepared his razor. "Yes, I've done it many times before."

"For a job?"

"No, for boyfriends."

Laxus jolted, but Freed managed to pull the razor away before it touched the skin.

"What are you doing? Stay still."

"Boyfriends? You've shaved boyfriends? Like, in the morning, after a night together?"

That question stung Freed to the core. He grabbed Laxus' face and forcefully held it still. "Yes, after a night together. I've slept with men, and if we're serious, sometimes they let me shave them. How is any of this a shock to you? You _know_ I'm gay."

Yes, he knew. He had guessed almost immediately after they met, but it made no difference to him. It wasn't like Laxus was out to bang his guild mates. At some point, without questioning directly, it just somehow came up. Maybe Freed had been talking about a date, Laxus did not remember anymore, only that at some point early on in their team's beginnings, it became clear that Freed truly was into guys. It did not matter to Laxus. If the person was strong, he didn't care who that person fucked.

Laxus knew Freed dated and had a few serious boyfriends. It was not like he was incapable of love or was prudish. Bickslow had also dated many people, men and women. Evergreen liked flirting more than dating, but she at least had a few hookups. She had a very specific type of man she fell for, and her relationships up until Elfman were always brief flings. Laxus had slept around as well. He had more than once been dragged out of the bed by one of his teammates after a wild night with some random woman he met at a pub, forcefully sobered up, and tasked with continuing the journey to a client. One-night-stands were easy and physically fulfilling without all the bullshit.

He realized, it had always been Freed to drag him out of those cheap, sex-reeking hotel rooms. Freed was more than aware of his promiscuity.

So why was he jealous to hear that Freed had slept with men?

No, that would have been fine by itself. None of them were virgins, after all. (That had been declared one night over too many bottles of wine.) It was the fact that Freed had felt so close to those boyfriends, he had given them a shave. That took trust, and he hated the fact that some man—many men—had trusted Freed as much as he did.

Did Freed trust other men as much as he trusted Laxus? Was their closeness just another casual bond for Freed?

Laxus trusted absolutely no one as much as he trusted Freed, and as he felt the sharp blade glide over his face, there was no fear, no worries. He totally and utterly had faith in Freed to do a job to perfection.

Yet other men had sat there and had that razor glide over their throat with trust in him. This moment was nothing special.

That was what made Laxus jealous, and also sad. He wanted some sort of special _first_ with Freed. Obviously, he was not his first crush, nor would he be a first lover. He would not give him a first kiss, and apparently he would not even be the first person Freed shaved.

There had to be some sort of _first_ for them, something special.

Freed stepped back with proud satisfaction. "Done."

"Has a man ever shaved you?" Laxus blurted that out so suddenly, it caught even him by surprise.

Freed blinked a few times in shock by the question, but then his face went serious. "No offense, but you're not shaving me when you've never used a straight razor before in your life."

"Not today, but … something. A way to repay you."

"You can repay me by not being forgetful next time. Now, I need to shave before we head off. Wash up, and brush your teeth again. I brushed my teeth earlier while you were relieving nature in the woods, and I cleaned it off well. It's sitting by my gear. Be sure you put it back with my toiletries."

The toothbrush! Laxus stared at it as memories of using it, and watching Freed use it, returned.

… _it's sort of like he's tongue-fucking you._

No, Freed would never do that. Freed had such a refined taste in the men he dated. They were rich, powerful, educated, important … hell, one had been a baron! In a lineup of fine caviar, Laxus was a tin can of cheap tuna. Freed would never want to _taste_ that.

Laxus still hesitated to use the toothbrush, being careful about it, as if that toothbrush was made of crystal. His mind kept drifting. If Freed were to thrust that erudite tongue of his into his mouth … or even thrust something else into his mouth…

"Aren't you boys ready?"

He jolted at Evergreen returning from the river. He had not even heard her, he was so lost in thought.

"Almost," Freed said, focused on his mirror and swiping the razor over his cheeks with ease.

Laxus mindlessly brushed his teeth as he watched Freed. How could he shave like that? Seriously, he made it look simple. Maybe Laxus was just clumsy. No, he _knew_ he was. He got teased about it as a kid, always running and tripping over his own feet, or getting lost around town, such a slow, clumsy, stupid kid.

Freed was pure grace. He was a pleasure just to watch. Everything about him was elegant.

"You're just sitting there sucking Freed's toothbrush. We need to go!"

Freed glanced around, and Laxus jolted. Shit, he really was just sitting there, not even moving anymore, the toothbrush crammed into his mouth, lost in thought as he gazed at Freed. He spit out the foaming toothpaste and scowled as he washed up.

Freed had felt his heart skip for a moment. Laxus sucking on his toothbrush … or sucking something else. Damn, how he'd love that!

He had to shake the mental image away. Laxus was straight, he had always slept with women … Freed knew all too well just how _prolifically_ he enjoyed the pleasure of women. It had been an embarrassment at first to have to fetch Laxus and see him like that, then it was annoying—couldn't the guy keep it in his pants while they were on a mission?—and slowly it evolved into disappointment and emotional torture. Every woman Freed disturbed as he dragged Laxus away to sober up and hit the road, he was reminded over and over that Laxus would never want the comfort of a man.

He needed to stop plaguing himself with these shameful thoughts. Lusting after a straight man was wrong, plus Laxus was his best friend. There were boundaries, unspoken rules, and propriety. He slammed his eyes shut and purged all the perverted thoughts away.

"Ready to go?" he called out to everyone.

They put away the last of their gear and hit the road for a day of walking on their way to their mission.


	3. Reverse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's bad hair day for the Raijinshuu.

They arrived at the town of the client and were greeted with the oddest sight they had seen in a long, long time. Everyone in town either had outrageously garish hairstyles, or they had covered their heads with paper bags, hoods, and masks. Each one looked mortified to realize a stranger was there and ran away from their group, leaving them with a clear path through the street.

Finally, one man wearing a deep hooded cowl walked forward. "Are you the Fairy Tail wizards?"

Freed stepped forward. "This is Laxus Dreyar, and we are the Raijinshuu. We're looking for Mister Bill Strawberry."

"Oh my, your hair!"

Freed felt the top of his head. "Ah, these?" He stroked along the thunderbolt shaped cowlicks. "They just form that way."

"No, I mean … hair so long. You must be proud of it."

"I just like it long. It suits me better."

The hooded man cringed deeply and shook his head. "I'm so sorry for you." He waved them to follow. Although they were confused by his words, they walked along, heading into a large bank that was completely empty.

"Do I have something in my hair?" Freed whispered to Evergreen.

"It's as impeccable as ever. It's the people here with odd hair."

"It's as you say," said a deep, elderly voice. Inside the bank was a group, four hooded tough men wearing suits all standing protectively around a seated man wearing a silk bag over his face. "It's the people here with odd hair. That is because of that cursed wizard child running around."

"A child?" Laxus rolled his eyes. "We don't babysit brats."

"He's a prodigy, the grandson of a Ten Wizard Saint. His mother is the richest woman in town and a well-respected client of mine at this bank."

"Are you Mister Strawberry?" asked Freed.

"I am, head of the bank and mayor of Avedaville. I represent the Gibson family as well as this entire town. Thank you for coming."

Evergreen glanced around suspiciously at all the head coverings. "The flier said to bring in _a little terror_. I'm guessing you don't mean a monster, then."

"He might as well be called a demon, because that child is not like any human I've ever heard of. Some wonder if his grandfather, Wolfheim, is actually human. When Kimbly Gibson gave birth to her son Teddy, he was very sick, brimming with magic. However, she did not want her son to work at a magic guild. His power was suppressed by various means, and he was forbidden from learning or even seeing magic. For the past seven years, the staff of her mansion were not allowed to use magic at all.

"The only time he got to see it at work was when his mother was preparing for a royal banquet at Mercurius. She brought in a famed barber to help her prepare. Although she locked herself away, Teddy somehow sneaked into the room and witnessed magic at work for the first time. Just one glance, and he picked up hairstyling magic instantly. It takes wizards years of training in magic beauty school to learn what he did peeking through a crack in a closet. That is how genius he is.

"The next day, the mansion staff all had new hairstyles. Many were cute, but for those he didn't like, he cursed them with hideous haircuts. When Kimbly returned from Mercurius and saw what her son had done, she tried to stop him by forcing him wear a magic-sealing bracelet. He threw a tantrum, and she went bald. Then he ran away.

"He's been running amok for a whole week. We called in the royal guards. They used magic to try and bring him in safely. He picked up their magic with one look. All of it! Dozens of types of magic. This small child defeated an entire squad of royal guards."

"I could do that with one finger," Laxus grumbled. "So, he's the grandson of a Ten Wizard Saint. So am I. He's super powerful and a parent wants him to be weak. I was born weak but my father wanted me to be insanely powerful. I get it, but he's a spoiled brat, so I'll whoop his ass and bring him back home to his mother. She'd better straighten him out or I will."

Freed stepped ahead to smooth over Laxus' rough approach. "We empathize with the boy and the family. We will retrieve him as quickly and safely as possible. We'll need a magic-sealing device if he's as powerful as you say."

"Such hair!" Mr. Strawberry said in a sad tone. "I am so sorry."

Freed was again startled by the comment to his hair.

"Yes, you will have something to safely restrain him. I'll warn you, though. You are all renown for your magical power, but do _not_ use magic near him. He will pick up on your type of magic and use it against you."

"We can't use magic?" Bickslow exclaimed. "Then why request wizards?"

"Because someone has to be able to fight against what he learned from the royal guards. He knows how to create traps and pitfalls, how to freeze people, control plants, all the suppression techniques the guards had used."

Freed nodded thoughtfully. "The flier specifically said you needed someone who can manipulate runes. That's why Mira recommended this for our team. Now I get it."

Mr. Strawberry rubbed his silk-bag-covered face. "His grandfather has been sent for and promised to bring a magic barber. See, the hairstyles little Teddy Gibson creates, no one can _un-_ create. And if he does not like you, they are hideous. Oh so hideous!"

He waved for his guards to lower their hoods. One tough man had humongous odango buns on the sides of his head, another had a bald strip running straight down the center of his coifed hair, a third looked like he had a curled mustache growing where his bangs should be, and a fourth looked like his hair had become a unicorn with a glittering lavender spike shooting outward. Then Mr. Strawberry pulled the bag off his face. He was a paunchy man with a bearded double chin and high blood pressure that made his face bright pink. Both his hair and his beard had been dyed to match the brightness of his cheeks, all but the top which had been fringed into spikes and dyed green, with his hair and beard also dyed with black spots until he looked exactly like a giant strawberry.

Laxus merely raised an eyebrow, Freed cringed a little, but Bickslow and Evergreen could not stop the burst of laughter.

"Guys, that's rude," Freed hissed, trying to hush them.

Mr. Strawberry sighed. "It's okay. I know. My own wife can't look upon me without laughing. She asked me not to see the children because it could traumatize them for life. I can't even look in a mirror without hating myself. Every single person in this town was cursed with terrible hair. When we try to change it…"

He pulled out scissors and attempted to cut off the green leaf-like spikes on the top of his head, but the scissors shattered.

"The magic barber had used a spell so Kimbly's hair would never change all through the three days she was at the king's banquet. Teddy must have assumed all hairstyles use such advanced methods. Our hair won't grow, it can't be cut, it can't be dyed, and even if you drench it in water, it will go straight back up into the style it was in originally."

Evergreen poked the thunderbolt cowlicks on Freed's hair. "Is that how you managed to get these to always stay this way?"

He shoved her hand away. "I've told you, I was born with them."

"It's also bad for business," Mr. Strawberry said as he pulled the silk bag over his face again. "No one is leaving home unless they absolutely have to. No one is coming into this bank. Children refuse to go to school, and couples are sleeping in separate rooms because they are too humiliated to sleep together. It's a disaster at every level."

"It seems like you're over-reacting," said Evergreen.

"You have no idea what this is like, to have hair this hideous," he shouted, but then he tried to calm himself. "Many people can't even sleep well because their hair is in the way. Some can't return home because their hair is so huge, they don't fit through the door anymore. We had to put three townsfolk up in a barn because their hair is too massive. It can be outright dangerous for others. One poor man has hair so long, it's damaging his spine and he's been placed on bed-rest by the town doctor, unable to walk due to the sheer weight of all that hair. It's not just hideous, but dangerous."

The unicorn-headed man nodded. "I gave my boyfriend a black eye when I accidentally bumped into him."

"We are a small town," Mr. Strawberry lamented. "There are no magic guilds anywhere nearby, no magic barbers, nothing of the sort. Wolfheim promised to bring a magic barber, but he can't be here for another week. The only hope is that little Teddy will calm down and fix everyone's hair before then. I give you this warning: mentally fortify yourself, because he will first attack with bad haircuts. It's the magic he knows best, and he aims to weaken you through humiliation. I am so, so sorry about your hair."

Freed straightened his shoulders. "We are the Raijinshuu of Fairy Tail. A bad hair day is not enough to deter us."

* * *

They were brave words, but they underestimated that child.

As they went into the woods where the child was hiding, they hit many traps. Freed was careful about what runes he used to get out of them. They all had to remember, they could not use strong magic or this child would mimic it and fight in the same way.

Laxus' hearing and sense of smell led them right to the boy, who had constructed an elaborate tree house, definitely using some sort of wood magic. That was when the attacks began.

All they had to do was get close enough to attach a magic-sealing collar around his neck. However, he had learned a few different types of magic. They were hit with sudden walls of earth, blasts of water, vines would suddenly wrap around them and bind them, they had hallucinations of people who were not really there, all the while the child laughed and taunted them to show him more magic.

And then, Evergreen was struck down.

"Let him learn _this_." She lowered her glasses, and her eyes glowed.

Freed jolted at feeling the buildup of magic. "Evergreen, no!"

" _Stone Eyes!_ "

The boy was instantly turned into stone with a look of fascination etched onto his face.

"Easy," she said smuggly. "Now, let's bring him in. Where's that collar?"

They heard cracking, and suddenly the boy broke free with the stone around him turning to tiny crumbles.

"That's incredible, lady. I've never seen someone cast magic with their eyes. Do you have to be born with it? Can you learn it?"

Evergreen's mouth dropped. "How? That's impossible. No one can break free from Stone Eyes unless they have prosthetic eyes."

"I charmed myself," the boy declared, grinning mischievously. "Those guards tried to do something like that, but it was cast with a magic circle, not their eyes. I dodged that one easy-peasy, and he turned the guard behind me to stone. I just listened to what the guy did to undo it and remembered it. You should leave your glasses on. It hides your ugly face."

Evergreen flared up. "Why you little—"

"You're not a good lady, are you? You sound sorta nice, but you're really mean. I know just the hairstyle."

Her head glowed, and Evergreen gasped.

"Wanna see?"

A massive mirror of ice formed in front of her, and Evergreen saw what he had done. Her brown hair had been turned into a frizzy, curly mullet.

"Ahhhhhhh!" she screamed, backing away from the mirror. "No, not a mullet. Anything but that."

"It's just hair," Freed tried to reason.

"The hair makes the person, as my mommy says." Little Teddy blasted a spell at Freed, whose head glowed and came back with his hair fanned up in the back like a green peacock. The ice mirror turned on its own to show him.

"It suits me," Freed said stubbornly.

"It's hideous," Evergreen declared, cowering down.

Laxus glared. "Ever, what's wrong with you?"

"It's not just hair," Freed said, and they saw his hands were in fists to hold back from shaking. "There's a psychological element he's sneaking in. The person gets a hairstyle that is what they perceive to be absolutely the worst, on … _nightmarish_ levels," he explained, and Freed trembled slightly. "That internalized aversion is magically increased. It's not just bad. It's … revolting. It's physically nauseating and mentally torturous. It's more of a psychological attack than a physical one." He slammed his eyes shut. "Someone please shatter that mirror before I vomit."

Laxus gladly punched it, but then he walked up to Freed and laid a worried hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"No," he admitted, gulping down sickness deep in his gut, "but I'll manage so long as I don't have to see myself. Be careful, all of you. His attacks are more dangerous than they appear."

"You're really smart, mister," the boy said to Freed. "I don't think I like you."

The boy's eyes suddenly glowed just like Evergreen's had, but Freed and Laxus knew that look all too well. They quickly looked away, and Bickslow jumped in front of them with his arms spread to make sure they did not look into his eyes.

"Wow, it doesn't work on you, huh?" the boy said in curiosity. "Is it the helmet? What's under that weird thing?"

Bickslow's head glowed, and instantly he looked uncomfortable.

"Ow … ow … ow, ow, ow!" He ripped the helmet off, and his hair suddenly puffed out in a massive afro, so huge he fell over from the weight. Freed and Laxus had to leap back at the sheer size of that globe of hair.

"Eww, did you tattoo your face? Yucky!" Teddy said, sticking his tongue out.

"Bickslow?" Freed shouted out.

He tried to sit up, but he could not budge. "Damn, it's like a meteor on my head." He struggled some more, straining his neck muscles until they strained out in sinewy tension, but the most he got was an inch off the ground before crashing right back down. "It's too heavy. I'm totally stuck."

"Don't strain your neck," Freed cautioned. "Evergreen, protect him."

"No, it's too horrible. Too horrible."

"Evergreen!" Freed snapped. "What is more important: your looks, or your friend?"

That snapped her out of her trauma, but she was slow to crawl over to Bickslow as he flailed around helplessly on the ground.

"I still don't like you," Teddy said, and Freed was hit again with a hair spell, ending up with all of his long hair spiked straight up like a massive cone.

Freed cringed as he felt the shifting weight of hair. "Please don't tell me he did what I think he did."

"That's enough," Laxus growled, hating to see his teammates played like this and mentally tortured. "The kid can't mimic what he doesn't even have."

Laxus flashed, and like a bolt of lightning, he was instantly up in the tree house with the boy.

"That wasn't just being fast," Teddy said in awe. "What magic is that? Tell me, tell me."

"The magic of a dragon, and since you don't have that sort of magic inside of you, you can't ever mimic it."

Bickslow tried to lift his head, but he could barely move. "He's not gonna attack with Dragon Slayer magic, is he? Laxus, he's just a kid."

"I know that," Laxus snapped, pulling out the magic-sealing collar. "Seriously, how reckless do you think I am?"

Freed muttered to himself, "You don't want us to answer that."

"Dragon Slayer?" Teddy's huge eyes sparkled in awe. "I wanna learn. How do I become a Dragon Slayer?"

"Go find a fucking dragon."

"Language!" Freed instinctively warned.

As Laxus reached out to the boy, Teddy vanished and reappeared down in the forest clearing.

"He knows teleportation magic," Freed realized. "Oh, that's going to make this harder."

Laxus flashed and appeared right next to him. Teddy vanished again, right up behind Freed, and hit him with another blast of hair magic.

"Nooooo!" Evergreen shrieked.

"Lookie, lookie!" Teddy taunted, and yet another ice mirror appeared. Then Laxus flashed by them, and Teddy instantly vanished to another part of the woods.

Freed saw that his hair had been turned into a mullet. "Hmm … I think it should be longer in the back, personally."

"How can you stand it?" Evergreen sobbed. "Your hair!"

"I'm actually not averted to mullets. I dated a man with one. I don't think it looks good on me, but I don't mind it on others." Freed watched Laxus and Teddy vanishing and reappearing, the boy sticking his tongue out at the Dragon Slayer, and Laxus sometimes shooting tiny lightning bolts, not enough to harm too badly but enough to stun a child, as his patience completely vanished. "The more he casts the spell, the less the hair is appalling, and the psychological effects minimize. It's really just a one-hit attack. After all, we only have one hairstyle that we deem to be _the absolute worst_."

Teddy was almost caught but suddenly turned into a tiny rabbit and hopped away. Then he ended the Take-Over magic and returned to his human self.

"Go bald, old man!"

Laxus suddenly lost all of his hair.

"Oh my God," Evergreen gasped.

"Wait, is he really bald? I wanna see," Bickslow said, straining to lift his head even a little.

Freed continued to observe. "When he's not focused, the hairstyle is not even the worse possible, and the psychological manipulation appears to not even be present."

"I actually think afros are super cool," said Bickslow. "I just can't move. Seriously, I wanna see Laxus bald. Help me raise up."

"The attack on you was to incapacitate you. He realized he was outnumbered. It might also be he gleaned that you don't have a high sense of fashion."

"Hey!" Bickslow shouted defensively.

"So his attack was to force you out of the fight. The kid actually has a good comprehension on battle tactics. If he was trained, in another ten years, he very well could be an S-Class wizard."

Teddy reappeared up in his tree house again and shouted down to him. "I'm gonna surpass my grandpapa. Mommy doesn't want me to learn magic, but look!" He raised his arms, and massive stone spikes shot up all around Laxus, caging him in. "I can learn it super fast. I'm gonna show Grandpapa that I know magic, and I'm gonna learn from him, and one day I'm gonna be better than him, the best ever. I'll be the greatest wizard of all time."

Laxus suddenly appeared right behind him. "Being strong is the easy part. You become _great_ by helping others and making friends."

Freed beamed proudly to see that Laxus had learned that lesson.

Just as Laxus almost had the collar around Teddy's neck, the boy vanished again, arriving up in an oak tree. "I know how to slow you down, you big dumb-dumb."

Laxus' head glowed, and from being bald he suddenly grew hair. A lot of hair. It grew longer and longer, tumbling into his eyes, down to his feet, until the hair trailed out of the tree house and down to the forest floor.

"Oh my God, that's a lot of hair," Evergreen said in horror.

Freed looked fretful. "Laxus, be very careful how you move. That much hair in a forest is seriously a handicap."

Teddy laughed and pointed at him. "You look like a girl. Hahaha! A big, ugly girl."

Laxus began to bolt forward, but he got barely three meters before his hair snagged, and he was yanked backward, crashing into the trunk supporting the tree house. He yanked on the mass of hair, breaking off some of the tree house deck railing that had ensnared it. He gathered up the annoying mess and tried again, but by the time he reached the high branch where Teddy stood, the boy and transported back over to his tree house. He turned around, shook his butt at Laxus, and pulled down his eyelid with his tongue out.

"You little bastard!" Laxus was just bolting over, when all that long hair dropped and wrapped around the branch.

"No!" Freed screamed, seeing the problem too late.

Laxus was yanked out of his speedy travel so hard, his neck popped, and he was yanked backward. However, this tree was too high, and Laxus was stuck dangling from the branch with his own hair like a noose.

"He could snap his neck like that," Evergreen shouted.

Freed raced over. An earth wall rose into his way, and he vaulted over it with grace. A circle of runes glowed to trap him, and with swift writing he nullified it. Vines swirled out to ensnare him, and he pulled out his sword to slash them.

"Go Freed!" Bickslow cheered. "Wait, he's out of my view now. Roll my head around so I can see him."

Freed reached Laxus dangling from the neck by his hair. " _Dark Écriture: Wings._ " He wrote the runes onto his arm, and dark wings spread out, allowing him to fly up to the high branch. With a shout of rage, his sword cut down the thick branch. Laxus landed on his feet, but his hair was completely tangled up.

"Goddammit, cut this shit," he yelled.

"No, remember what Strawberry showed us. My sword would break if I tried to cut your hair. Stay here. Give me the collar. I'll deal with him."

Laxus handed over the magic-sealing collar. "Be careful."

"Trust me," he said, and Laxus saw in the firmness of his gaze, Freed must already have a plan.

Freed turned to the child's tree house and walked into the opening. "Let's calm down and talk, Teddy."

"You're a stupid-head!" he yelled, and Freed's head glowed again. He suddenly had his entire scalp turned into a massive bird's nest. "Bird brain, bird brain, hahaha!"

Undeterred, Freed continued. "Do you want to learn some highly advanced magic?"

That caught Teddy's interest right away. "Oh yes! I wanna learn all about magic."

"This one is dangerous though. It's _dark_ magic."

Evergreen's eyes grew huge. "Freed, no! Are you insane?"

"Dark magic?" Teddy whispered in awe, his eyes growing huge. "Wow. I definitely wanna learn that."

"You know how to write runes, right?"

"Uh-huh. I can write really awesome runes."

"Show me. Here's a spell." He wrote it onto his chest, and the runes glowed dark purple. "It specifically increases the strength of a person's skeletal system, including muscles and tendons. Write that rune onto Bickslow. If you can actually do that much, maybe I'll teach you dark magic."

"Easy-peasy!" He wrote the runes in the air, and it suddenly flew out toward Bickslow.

"Freed!" yelled Evergreen.

"He did it right," Freed said, seeing the runes before it struck, although he had been prepared to activate a circle of protection he had created beforehand around Evergreen and Bickslow just in case the boy wrote it wrong.

The rune hit Bickslow, and suddenly the massive afro was not heavy at all. He sat up and was amazing to be able to turn his head around with ease despite the ridiculous size of his hair.

"That's really good work. You're a quick learner."

"I'm super-duper smart," Teddy boasted.

"You sure are. So, do you know the runes for Darkness?"

Evergreen gasped, Bickslow choked up as he cringed, and Laxus stopped fussing with untangling his hair to look over in outrage.

"Freed, that's a forbidden spell," Evergreen protested.

"Don't you _dare_ teach a child that one," Bickslow yelled.

Laxus said nothing. He trusted Freed, but he sure as hell hoped he knew what he was doing.

"Darkness? Nu-uh. I've never seen that one."

"I'll write it on the ground here." With the tip of his sword, Freed scratched out runes into the dirt. "Can you see it clearly? You have to be able to write it precisely like that."

"Uh-huh, I see it fine."

"How it works, you write in onto yourself and say _Dark Écriture: Darkness_."

"Writing runes onto yourself, huh? Never thought of that. Cool! Lemme try." He reached his hand to his chest but paused. "Heeeeey, wait a minute. Is this a trick, mister? How do I know it won't zap me?"

"The spell _Darkness_ will transform you into the body and strength of a demon. Observe." Freed wrote runes onto his own chest. " _Dark Écriture: Darkness_."

With a glow of dark, sinister magic, he mutated from the refined gentleman into a hellbeast with horns, fangs, long ears, spikes on his joints, and scales over one eye.

"Whoooooa! That's so cool! All right, I'm gonna do this." Teddy wrote the runes on his chest. " _Dark Écriture: Darkness_." However nothing happened. "Huh? But I did it right."

"Ah, sorry, it's been such a long time, I completely forgot. The very first time you do this spell, before your body decides upon which sort of demon to turn into, you have to say it in the original language: _p_ _iège_."

"Oh, I guess that makes sense. _Dark Écriture:_ _P_ _iège_."

His chest glowed this time, but instead of transforming, Teddy went completely still.

"What? What happened? I … I can't move. I can't move! Did I do it wrong?"

Freed's demonic body splintered into tiny glowing runes and teleported up into the tree house. When his body reformed, he was back to normal. "No, you did it perfectly, as expected of a prodigy."

"But I didn't turn into anything."

"That's right. You see, there is a subtle difference in the shape of the fourth rune between _Darkness_ and _P_ _iège_. You copied what I wrote on the ground perfectly, but you did not notice that what I wrote on my chest was slightly different, since I partly hide what I wrote with my hand. One thing you learn through time, experience, and making mistakes, is that the faintest change to a rune can make a huge difference. One spell turns you into a demon of darkness, the other traps a person, freezing them in their spot."

Evergreen sighed in relief. "That's our Freed."

"That's bloody genius!" Bickslow cried out with a laugh.

Laxus smiled proudly. He could always count on Freed.

"No fair! That's cheating. Go bald!"

Freed suddenly lost all of his hair, but he was unfazed by it.

"Cheater! Liar! Jerk!"

With each insult, Freed's head changed. He had pigtails, then ramen curls, then odango buns on the sides of his head.

"Are you quite done?" he asked in annoyance.

Teddy growled in frustration, and his eyes began to glow.

"None of that, now." Freed slid a pair of glasses onto the boy's face.

"What? What is this? Why won't it work?"

"I always carry a spare set of Eye Magic sealing glasses. See, Eye Magic is highly unstable even for experienced users. That's why Evergreen wears glasses that seal her power, why Bickslow covers his eyes with the visor of his helmet, and why I keep my bangs over my right eye. Magic tends to burst out of wizards when we least expect it. It's simply annoying when a fire user catches your coat on fire because he got a little upset over some teasing, or when a water user floods the guild because she's sad. In our case, unconscious bursts of magic could result in deaths, so we keep it sealed. It's the lifelong damnation of Eye Magic. Those glasses will seal you from using Stone Eyes for now. You may keep them."

"No! Go away!"

Freed's head flashed, and he had a mohawk. He ignored it and pulled out the magic-sealing collar. His head flashed again, and his hair turned into a massive afro, just like Bickslow's, but it did not weigh down his head.

"Didn't you see me give myself that spell to strengthen my neck?"

"You big dummy! Doody head! Liar! Jerk!"

His hair went bald except for the sides that stuck out like rings around a planet. Then his hair looked like a massive opened book. Then it was a bōsōzoku pompadour. Then a bowl cut, a high top, a buzzcut, a punch perm, a beehive, chonmage, hime cut, cornrows, a quiff, a tonsure, a man bun, an undercut.

"He's running out of ideas," Evergreen realized.

"This won't hurt," Freed promised, wrapping the collar around.

"Nooooo!" Freed's hair changed from style to style, a strawberry, a mullet again, long, bald, spikes, but when he clicked the collar shut, he was stuck with a crew cut.

"At least it's normal," Bickslow said.

"Yes, but … that style! It's how he looked right after Laxus was excommunicated."

Freed sighed, ran his hand over his head, and felt just how short it was. He cringed, but realized he would have to put up with it.

"I'm not going back," Teddy screamed. "I don't wanna be locked away. Mommy treats me like I'm dumb. She doesn't want me to learn anything. She won't even let me go into the library. I know she doesn't want me to learn magic. I wanna learn! I'm smart, really."

"I know you are." Freed dropped to one knee to look the boy in his crying eyes. "You have a special ability to learn. It's natural to want to know absolutely everything. However, most wizards focus on one magic and master it before they learn a bunch of others. You can learn anything you want in time, but how about you pick just one for the moment, a safe one until you can control things."

Teddy shoved his lip out. "Take-Over magic. That's what Grandpapa knows, and he can teach me."

"I know some incredibly powerful Take-Over wizards. One in particular is a real she-devil. She even defeated me."

"With Take-Over magic?" he asked in awe. "But you're super smart and strong."

"Her strength in that moment came from feelings, wanting to protect someone very dear to her."

Freed looked aside sadly, remembering how he had outright tortured Elfman and was ready to murder him in cold blood when Mira reawakened her powers and showed just how insanely strong she was. Mira absolutely could have killed him in that fight, but love for all of her guildmates stopped her.

"That's the thing about being strong. You can be smart, play by the rules, learn super powerful spells, build up your muscles until you can lift people with ease, but in the end the people who are truly strong are ones who fight for a good reason, people with something they care about, people who empathize."

"Em-pah-thighs? That's a big word."

"Right," Freed realized. The child might be a genius at learning, but he was only seven. Advanced vocabulary came with reading, and if his mother refused to let him explore a library, his education must have been stunted. "It means, you can understand how others feel, you can warm your heart to them, and you can try to see why they have a certain attitude. For example, I can empathize with you. We both learn things quickly, we both love to study, and we both want to impress someone else. You want to impress your grandfather because you see him as being powerful, right?"

"Uh-huh. Grandpapa is the strongest Take-Over wizard ever and ever."

"The man I want to impress is right down there."

"The ugly golden-hair princess?"

Freed chuckled. "Yes, him. He's a Dragon Slayer, super powerful, infused with the magic of a dragon. There aren't many of them in the entire world. I fight hard when I want to impress him, but I realized one day, I fight _hardest_ and _strongest_ when I'm trying to protect my friends."

"I don't have friends," Teddy said with a pout. "Mommy won't let me out of the house. She's afraid I'll see magic."

"Well, it's a bit late to hide you from that. I will personally write a letter to Wolfheim and ask him to get you a teacher for Take-Over magic. That's a good one to learn. You should focus on it. Maybe one day you'll learn how to mix different types of magic together. For instance, I mix Letter Magic, Eye Magic, and Darkness Magic, three different types. I also learned to fight with a sword, and I learned many ancient languages to help advance my studies in Jutsu Shiki and Dark Écriture."

"You can mix them?" he asked in amazement.

"You were mixing hair magic and empathy magic without even realizing it. You're that smart, so I know you can do it if you study. Many wizards have different types of magic, but they focus on a specific type so they can be the best at that magic. Maybe one day you'll discover a whole new magic that only you possess. Then you'll truly be the best at whatever that magic is. Although you can learn any magic in the world, it's best to focus on whatever you're really good at, okay?"

"Okay," he grumbled.

"Good, now it's time to go home."

"No! I don't wanna. I wanna play in the woods more."

"It'll be dinnertime soon."

"I don't wanna, I don't wanna, I don't wanna…"

"Nap time," Freed sighed in frustration. He wrote something across Teddy's chest, and the boy suddenly fell asleep. Freed grabbed him up into his arms.

"We'll have to carry him back. Looks like our hair won't be getting fixed anytime soon."

Laxus lumbered forward with his arms filled with all of the hair. "I should whoop that brat's ass while he's unconscious."

Dark wings carried Freed down out of the tree house. "You'll do no such thing. Come on, let's get back to town."

"Freed?" Evergreen tugged on his coat with her head down. "I can't go back into that town looking like this. It's beyond terrible. I just can't."

Bickslow plopped his helmet over her head. "Hold that for me. Don't lose it; it's special to me."

Freed smiled at his thoughtfulness. He had been victim to the psychological effects of the hair magic, so he knew how traumatized Evergreen was feeling, and he was glad Bickslow thought up of a solution so quickly. With her hair and face covered, Evergreen almost seemed back to her normal self.

Laxus walked along with them, carrying his hair in his arms as they left through the woods. He tripped on a piece that slipping out to the ground and almost fell, losing hold of the massive pile of hair. It all fell down and smothered him. Evergreen could not hold back a soft giggle.

"Goddamn stupid hair," Laxus growled.

"Maybe we should wake up the kid," Bickslow suggested. "See if he'll reverse all this."

Freed shook his head. "We'd have to take off the collar, and it was hard enough to catch him."

"Fuck this," Laxus snarled from inside the pile of golden hair. "Back off, guys. I'm chopping this hair."

The three knew, when Laxus had to warn them to back off, he was going to go all out. They went far down the path, with Bickslow's humongous afro getting him stuck between many trees and having to be poofed inward to fit through.

Electricity tingled the air as Laxus charged up massive bolts between his arms. He lifted his hands into the air as the magic grew.

" _Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd!_ "

They shielded their eyes against the blinding flash as a spear of lightning sliced through the hair. When things settled down, Laxus' hair was to his lower back, not short, but manageable.

"I can handle that," he said, leaving the rest of the hair behind. "Freed, ya got any of those things you use to pull your hair back?"

Freed handed Teddy over to Bickslow, reached into a pocket, fished out a rubber band, and tied Laxus' hair back.

"Much oblige. Now, let's get this bratty kid back home."

* * *

They arrived to find Mr. Strawberry and a wealthy woman fretting at their appearances. She wore a bonnet, but it was obvious she was bald, and Strawberry still had a silk bag over his face. Freed took off the rune to sleep, but Teddy seemed more cranky than before, furious they had brought him back. When both his mother and Mr. Strawberry begged him to undo the hair curses, he refused unless his mother promised to let him study magic. The woman outright refused.

"Ma'am," Laxus said gruffly, although he tried to keep his words polite. "Your boy has a talent. He needs to learn how to control it, not suppress it."

She stiffened up her chin. "I will ask you _not_ to tell me how to raise my own son. You brought him back, so we'll pay you, but it will be me and his grandfather to decide what we should do about him."

"I don't wanna be locked away," Teddy screamed.

Freed really felt sorry for the boy. "He's already learned a lot, ma'am. I understand if you don't want him to join a magic guild—it's a dangerous job—but at the very least he could get tutoring."

She sneered at him. "Learn your place, you wizarding whore!"

"Hey," Evergreen shouted.

Bickslow's eyes began to glow. "No one talks to Freed like that."

They all felt electricity surging in the air.

Freed lifted his hand to stop them. "There are people who see magic guild wizards that way. It's her opinion. Let her be."

"But Freed—"

"We've done our job," he snapped, although his eyes glared at the mother. "That's all we were paid to do, right?" he said in brittle tones.

"That's right," she said primly. "You did your job, and you'll get paid."

"Then you wouldn't mind giving Wolfheim this letter." He reached into his coat and handed over a sealed envelop. "It's merely a letter of introduction and admiration, from one _wizarding whore_ to another _."_

"My father is better than that," she insisted.

"Was he always?" Freed asked coldly.

Kimbly looked affronted by his words. "As if I would give him anything from a lowly minion like you."

"I highly recommend you do. You see, this letter is charmed. If you attempt to open it, it'll explode. If you don't deliver it, it'll explode in two weeks. If you try to send this letter far away, it will explode if it goes beyond five leagues from Avedaville."

"What?" she screamed.

"All standard wizarding charms of mail security, you understand," he said, as if this should be expected and not horrifying. "Only Wolfheim himself can open that letter. I promise, it does not contain demands that he train your son."

That seemed to lessen her rage only slightly. She snatched the letter away but thrust it over to Strawberry. "I'm not keeping some _bomb_ in my house. Lock it in a vault or something. Come, Teddy." She dragged her son to a waiting carriage.

The boy looked back at them with dread and pleading eyes. However, Freed smirked, and in the air he wrote some runes. Although they did not create any type of magic, Teddy was able to read the message in them, and he grinned brightly.

"What did you tell him?" Evergreen whispered.

"That he will definitely get training. Mr. Strawberry, I really do highly recommend you give that letter to Wolfheim."

He was holding the sealed letter in terror. "Will … will it really explode?"

"No, I just told her that because I knew she would discard of it. It will, however, burst into a fireball if you try to open it. It won't kill, but it will maim." That made Strawberry tremble even more. "Now, if you don't mind, I think we all need to retire for the day. We have a long road tomorrow."

He turned, and the others followed his lead. Laxus stepped up in stride with Freed.

"What does that letter actually say?"

"No clue. Did I have time to write a letter? It's a special parchment; I'll write the letter tonight, and the words will appear on the paper. I need to figure out how to impress upon Wolfheim just how important it is that his grandson get magic training without making it an outright demand." Freed's eyes softened. "I know all too well how that boy feels. My parents were like that, thinking career wizards were nothing more than _whores_ , forbidding me from learning anything at all about magic. I learned by sneaking behind their backs, searching for the most advanced and most taboo magic I could find in books alone. The results were … disastrous," he said with grimness in his face.

Evergreen came up and hugged around his shoulders. "You've told us. It's okay."

He glanced over. "No offense, but that helmet makes me think this is a female Bickslow hugging me, and that's disturbing." He chuckled and patted her arm. "I'm fine. Just this whole thing reminds me of my own childhood. I want that boy to be trained before he does far worse than curse people with bad hair."

"Make it a good letter to Wolfheim," Laxus told him. "I trust you to word it right."

Freed beamed in happiness that Laxus had such trust in him. "I will."

Evergreen and Bickslow slipped back behind the two, giving them a moment together. It was strange to see Laxus as the one with a long ponytail and Freed with short hair.

"Is it me, or did these two reverse?" Bickslow said quietly.

"It totally doesn't suit either of them," she said.

"By the way, how's the helmet?"

"It's sweaty and stinks of your scalp."

He laughed and lolled his tongue out. "You're welcome!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _Meet the inspiration for Mr. Strawberry._
> 
> _Piège is French for trap, like Admiral Ackbar in Return of the Jedi says in French, "C'est un piège!"_
> 
> _Little Teddy Gibson is named after famed New York hairstylist and hair expert on "What Not to Wear," Ted Gibson. His mother Kimbly is a reference to another TV hairstylist, host of "LA Hair," and sorceress who fixes Beyoncé's incredible hair, Kim Kimble. The town, Avedaville, is named after famed cosmetology school Aveda Institute and the high-end Aveda hair products. I love slipping in weird references._


	4. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laxus is determined to not let his cursed hair be a liability. Who better to train him in how to fight with long locks than the longest-haired man in Fairy Tail?

It had begun to rain shortly after they got to their hotel. Although they had planned to leave town right away, Evergreen was still suffering from mental trauma, and Freed wanted to write that letter to Wolfheim as soon as possible, just in case the Ten Wizard Saint showed up early. They decided another day in town would not be so bad. At least everyone forgave their weird hair, since the whole town was affected by Teddy's curses.

Rain tapped on the window as Freed sat at a desk, working out how to word his letter. Since he was busy, Bickslow's massive hair made going anywhere impossible—he had to get a separate room because his hair was larger than the bed—and Evergreen had locked herself in her room, Laxus left to get food for all of them. When he returned to their shared hotel room, Freed looked up and smiled.

"Whatever you bought smells good," he said, setting his pen down.

"This town is apparently famous for their fried chicken, or so they claim. Bicks and Ever already have theirs." He lifted a bag. "This one is ours."

Freed stretched out his arms. "How are they adjusting?"

"Ever's locked herself away and has turned to wearing a bag over her head like the other townsfolk. Bickslow says he wants to keep the afro, but he can barely move around with it. That damn hair is seriously almost as big as his room and hits the ceiling, so he's walking around crouched over. He's thinking about sleeping out in that barn Mr. Strawberry converted for people with hair too large for their own good. Apparently, he's not the only globe-head that brat created."

"And how about you?" Freed eyed the golden hair. "That's a lot longer than it was just an hour ago."

Laxus glanced at the hair that was now to his rump. "Yeah, it's growing back. I might have to zap it off again in the morning. How's the letter coming along?"

Freed sighed and looked down at the parchment. "I think I've got it worded right. I wrote it on behalf of you, by the way."

Laxus looked over in curiosity. "Why me?"

"Well, Wolfheim is one of the Four Gods of Ishtar. That woman is right: I'm just a minion."

"Hey! You ain't _nobody's_ minion," he insisted, enraged that Freed would think that.

"Yeah, but I'm not the grandson of a guild master, or even an S-Class wizard." Freed shrugged humbly. "I'm not important enough to deserve an audience with a man like Wolfheim."

"You're the captain of the Raijinshuu, strongest fuckin' team in Fairy Tail, so that's a hell of an important position."

Freed smiled lightly to hear him say that. "Thanks. Still, you're well-known and well-respected by other Ten Wizard Saints. Plus Wolfheim knows Makarov, so there's a chance he won't totally dismiss us as a waste of time. Your renown strength and your connection to Makarov just might get us our audience with Wolfheim."

Laxus set out the food. "Fine, use my family's name if you gotta. It's useful for some things. I just want that kid to be taken care of." He fixed a plate with chicken, corn, and potatoes, and handed it to Freed. "Eat up."

He accepted the plate but looked at Laxus it amazement. "You're normally not this concerned about children."

"I ain't," he said defensively. "I just kinda know how that kid feels. He's gonna have a rough life dealing with a grandfather that famous. Everyone will compare him to Wolfheim, and he's gonna hate every single comment that ends in _just like his grandfather_. Still, at least he deserves a chance to learn, to be strong, to compare himself to his grandfather, have him as the standard to surpass, and have others recognize him, even if they just compare him to his grandfather so much that he hates it."

Freed ate a little food as Laxus talked, but hearing him say that, hearing him empathize with that boy after everything Laxus had been through with his own dealings, made Freed proud. "You said some wise words to that boy today."

"Only crap I learned the hard way," he grumbled, tearing into the chicken with an appetite. "You did good, too. You really outsmarted that kid, as expected of you."

"Thank you," he said with a tip of his head.

They continued to eat, commenting on the food—the fried chicken really was delicious—and wondering if the storm would let up enough so they could leave in the morning. Every time Freed began to talk, Laxus would watch him. He had looked at Freed a lot over the years, always the same. He swore, the man never aged. Now though, it was odd. Laxus was used to Freed's right eye being covered by hair. Now with the crew cut, Laxus got to see both eyes. He was used to the cowlicks, but they were gone. He was used to long hair that gleamed green in the light, yet that also was cut to the scalp.

"Was Evergreen right?" asked Laxus. "Is that really how your hair looked back then … you know, when I was gone?"

Freed paused. That's right, Laxus had never seen his hair short before.

"Unfortunately, yes," he answered, coming across as sounding a little stiff as he shoved aside memories of the heartbreak and regret he had felt during that last major haircut.

Laxus frowned as he eyed the short hair and how it changed the entire appearance of Freed's face. "Did you really cut it that short? I mean, I heard ya cut it, but … seriously?"

Freed forced his face to be neutral and he poked at his food. "This short, yes."

"You didn't keep it in that style for very long."

He scoffed and stabbed a wedge of potato. "Would you? It looks terrible."

"I dunno," Laxus said, sipping a beer. "I think it looks good."

Freed jolted and looked up with his jaw dropped. Did Laxus actually like his hair short?

"I think it looks better longer," Laxus added in, "but it's not hideous this way. You probably look good no matter how your hair is cut."

"Th-thanks," he said awkwardly. The foul memories of the past evaporated with a burst of giddiness that Laxus thought he _looked good_.

Laxus focused on his bottle of beer. Dammit! He thought maybe he could flirt a little since it was just the two of them in that room, but obviously this was not working.

_How the hell do you flirt? I don't normally do this shit. Still, he looks fucking hot. I miss the long hair, but damn, this hairstyle is good on him. Even that goddamn mullet looked good on him. He just looks good no matter what. Sheesh, stop staring at him, he's going to notice. Maybe I need to get drunk to flirt._

With that thought, Laxus finished off his beer and opened another.

Freed ate a little more but glanced furtively at Laxus. He kept shoving his golden hair back a few times every minute, and once he had to pull hair out of his mouth as he ate. It was adorable, but Freed knew how frustrating it could be.

"I bet you can't wait to get rid of that hair."

Laxus grunted in agreement.

"You could always go out of town and use your magic to cut the hair even shorter."

"Yeah, but it'll just keep growing back. I was talking with one of the people in town. He also used magic to give himself a haircut, but it grew back. He said it appears to grow about twenty centimeters an hour, depending on the person." He glanced at how long his hair was already. "I think that's about right. It keeps getting longer and longer."

"Just cut it super short with your _Heavenly Halberd_. That way it'd take a whole day before it gets too cumbersome."

"Nah. It pissed me off. I got defeated by my own fuckin' hair. Out of all the things I've worked on to not be weak, to be strong enough to protect you and the others: hair! Fuckin' _hair_! This could happen again in a future battle, so I wanna know that I won't be totally useless."

"You're not _useless_. You're just not used to how you need to move when you have long hair."

"Precisely! I need to get used to it. I need to … to _train_. Train how to fight with long hair."

"Well, I could help you."

"Good. I was gonna ask, but I wasn't sure if you were busy."

"Well, I'm done with the letter. The rain isn't letting up, so it looks like we'll be staying overnight. How about I find a place in town where we can spar inside? Nothing too extreme, just to help you figure out how to maneuver with long hair."

"Yeah, that'd be good." Laxus sighed and yanked on his hair. "I swear, this is going to make me go insane."

Freed finished his meal and patted Laxus on the shoulder in moral support. "Don't get drunk," he warned. Then he pulled on a coat and grabbed an umbrella to go search for a place they could spar. By the time he came back, he saw that Laxus' hair was already past his knees. It really was growing at an incredible speed.

"I found a place. It's a dojo, but the owner said we could use it to long as we don't destroy anything."

"I don't need to practice my magic. I just need to figure out how to move around."

"Then it's perfect. You might want to pull your hair back. I'll check on the others." Freed left to the next room over and knocked on Evergreen's door. "Laxus and I are going to spar. Would you like to join us?"

"I'm not going _anywhere_. Not like this. It's terrible."

"It doesn't look that bad, really," he said, but he let her be. He had felt the psychological effects of the hair curse, so he sympathized with her trauma. He walked over to the next hotel room and knocked. "Bickslow?"

"I'm not naked, come in."

Freed was glad for that blunt assurance at decency. He peeked inside and saw Bickslow sitting on a chair with his humongous afro touched the ceiling. "We're going to spar a little. Are you up to coming?"

"Nah," said Bickslow. "This thing is a bit too big to be moving around much. I'll stay in for the night."

"I hope you can figure out a way to sleep."

"Yeah, me too. Have fun on your date."

Freed turned away with a surly scowl. "Shut up." He shut the door a little too hard.

Bickslow chuckled mischievously. Freed had really blushed brightly when he said that.

So it was just Laxus and Freed. The rain was coming down steadily, so they shared the umbrella the hotel lent to them. Freed stood close to Laxus, their arms touching, because he knew Laxus would rather hold the umbrella over him and get wet, but Freed was more worried about Laxus' hair getting wet.

Silvery sheets of water and a deepening twilight made it hard to see the town and the weird hairstyles now getting drenched. A little electrical glow from Laxus' hand lit the way for them as they avoided puddles. Freed knew he was blushing at sharing an umbrella with Laxus, but he was glad it was too dark for others to see how happy this made him.

They reached the dojo, and while Laxus shook off the raindrops from the umbrella, Freed went on ahead until he found the owner, busy putting away some gear. His hair had been turned all white with a black stripe down the middle, mimicking his white uniform and black belt.

"Ah, welcome, welcome! It's good to have guests come here." The man bowed deeply, and Freed bowed back. "We are done for the day, so please feel free to use the entire space." He saw Laxus coming up, and the owner recognized him from the Grand Magic Games that one year. "It truly is an honor to host wizards like yourselves, but I request that you refrain from using magic. This is a place for martial arts, not magic arts."

"We need to practice physical movements, that's all," Freed promised. He handed over a bag of Jewels. "Rent for an hour."

"Take the rest of the night, if you want. No one's going to come in, not with this hair curse. Normally, only advanced students would be here at this hour, yet the place has been empty for days. So there's no rush. We have spare uniforms, if you wish to use one. Just put it in the hamper when you're done."

"I apologize for the late hour," Freed said, bowing again.

"Not at all, not at all. On a good day, I may have students in here past midnight, but as I said, no one is coming in. Renting to you is a big help for my family. Just shut the door on your way out and it'll lock on its own. If there's any trouble, I'm in the house attached to the dojo."

With that, the owner left. Freed removed his shoes and proceeded forward, immediately going to a rack with plain white uniforms.

"I'm not sure if they have one in your size," he said, swishing through the clothes.

"I don't want comfort. I wanna know I can move with this hair."

Freed pulled out a uniform and glanced it over. "I, for one, want to get in some practice. I rarely focus on martial arts. Do you know Tai Chi? That will help you to start getting used to where your hair is and feel how it moves with your body."

"Shit, haven't done that in years," Laxus grumbled.

Freed began to change into a uniform, but Laxus only took off his shoes and the slightly damp shirt, letting it hang up with his wet coat. As he entered the training area, he watched Freed. They used to change in front of one another on missions, and it was no big deal; they were guys, so he saw Bickslow and Freed naked a lot. Now though, it was different. He had begun to _notice_ Freed. Watching him strip down to his underwear made Laxus' eyes wander over that ivory skin and those lean muscles.

Freed felt so comfortable doing this, though, so Laxus reasoned that there was no way he was actually _attracted_ to him. Sure, Freed idolized him, but that was it. He wondered what sorts of men Freed was into. Smart and funny? Social and elegant? Everything he was not!

Freed turned around, dressed in the white gi, and nodded at Laxus to begin.

"All right, so what do I do?" asked Laxus.

"First, you need to feel the movement of your body. Your hair will follow your body naturally. How your hair moves depends on how heavy and long it is. You and your hair are one, so don't fight it. Move with it. After a while, you'll simply know where your hair will be, and you can counterbalance to that. For instance, if I'm moving like this."

He began the first few moves. Laxus followed along, not a fan of Tai Chi, but he had learned it somewhere along the way, probably Makarov trying to calm his teenage angst.

"If your hair is tied low, the ends don't swing everywhere. If you tie it high, it's out of your shoulder area, but it can fly loose around the knees. So see, although a ponytail is nice, lower ties are good in battle because you can feel where your hair is going to be, and it won't catch or fly wildly. It can get in your face, but you will know where the longer parts will be and can use that momentum to your advantage."

"Why not a braid?"

"Braids become whips. Since my hair is short for now, let me show you with your own hair." He went behind Laxus, and in just a minute Freed managed to braid his golden hair. "Okay, it's messy but it'll show you what I mean. Spin around."

Laxus turned around quickly, and the braid whipped around to hit him in the waist.

"See, a braid is denser, so the movements can get fast and out of hand. The braid becomes a weapon. Now, let me show you how I wear my hair."

Laxus stood there as Freed messed with his hair. If he blushed, he hoped Freed thought it was just embarrassment at the length of his hair, not that it felt nice to have Freed pamper him. Before he knew it, his hair was tied down low, just as Freed often wore it.

"There. Try spinning again." Laxus spun, but the hair only swayed at his knees. "That minimal movement is why I use that hairstyle. Now, for you, we're going to try this without your hair pulled back at all. If you're struck with cursed hair again, it probably won't be neatly braided."

"Yeah, it was all over the place, getting caught on everything."

"So, let's take your hair down." He removed the hair tie. "Now, let's go through the forms. Do you remember them?"

"I'll follow your lead. It'll come back to me."

Freed nodded, and he began the moves, half a dance, half a battle in slow motion. Laxus stood behind him, following along, watching Freed's limbs stretch and move with utmost grace.

"Feel where your hair goes. Pay attention to how heavy it is."

Laxus continued his movements. "It's weird. I can feel it swaying around."

"Be aware of that swaying, predict where it will go, and move to make the hair go where you want it."

They continued through to the end of the routine.

"Good. Let's go through it once more, and this time I'll watch you, see how you're reacting to your hair."

They began again at the opening form and went through it. This time, Freed got to see Laxus in motion. Seeing such a massive, tall, bulky man move with grace was truly amazing. He almost thought Laxus would punch his way through it, or lumber through the forms with awkwardness. Instead, Laxus had closed his eyes as he focused on his hair.

"You're starting to get it," he said after they ended. "Time for something more aggressive. In battle, you'll mostly be running and jumping. Run a lap around the dojo. Feel the hair fluttering behind you."

Freed stayed where he was while Laxus jogged around the large room. With his shirt off, all of those muscles were on display. Watching Laxus simply jogging warmed Freed's chest.

Although … the hair fluttering behind him was comical.

"Goddammit!" Laxus shouted, yanking the hair up like a limp vegetable. "It keeps getting between my knees and pulling."

"Well, that's one of the things you either have to learn how to avoid, or learn to ignore. Now, try doing a zigzag pattern across the room, one corner to the next. Feel the shifts in the hair and your balance as you leap from side to side."

Laxus set about training with utmost seriousness. Freed watched the zigzagging motions, how the Dragon Slayer leaped easily from side to side, his thigh muscles bulging, but instead of observing how Laxus flowed with his long hair, Freed's eyes kept focusing down to Laxus' hips and how they turned with his body.

"Dang," he whispered, biting his lip slightly.

"Something wrong?" Laxus called back, still jumping from side to side.

Freed slammed his mouth closed. He had forgotten that Laxus' hearing was impeccable. "I was just thinking: dang, your hair is even longer now."

"Yeah, and it sucks. How am I supposed to _get used to the movement_ when the length and weight keeps increasing. Fuck, how do you even walk with hair like this?"

"Well, I've had my hair long for years. It's second nature. As a person grows their hair long, they gradually accommodate to the length and work around any troubles until there isn't any annoyance at all. For you, since you've always had your hair short, it makes sense that you're not used to how it should move when it's long."

"It sucks. I hate it already. I'm ready to zap the whole damn thing off."

"Before you do that, let's run through a few more activities. We have the place for an hour, after all."

Laxus sneered and tried to shove his hair away. "I feel stupid just running and leaping around."

"Then how about dancing?"

Laxus raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Seriously," Freed said with a slightly shrug. "When you're dancing, you have to know where every part of your body is, including clothes and hair, and how small changes as you're going forward, backward, or spinning around will affect the rest of your body. Dancing is the best way to focus on body movement, and that includes the movement of your hair."

Although Laxus was not much of one for dancing, he pouted and folded his arms. "I guess you know best."

Freed smiled and trotted off. "Here, I saw this as we entered. The dojo has some music." He went to a lacrima sound system and looked through the offered songs. "Ah, a waltz. Perfect."

Music started, and Laxus looked around. Rather than a dojo for martial arts, suddenly it felt like he was in a dance studio. Did this building actually serve as both? It was such a small town, the space probably got used for many things.

Freed glanced back at him and how Laxus was glaring around the room. "You … do know how to dance, right?"

Laxus swung his gaze back, ready to shout defensively, but he realized he did not need to with Freed. Knowing him, he was probably just curious if he had to start at a beginner level or if he could jump right into advanced lessons.

"I'm good enough," Laxus said, and he took up the starting position.

Freed saw Laxus' hands ready to accept a partner. He bowed, stepped up, and adjusted himself slightly to take a following role. Their hands met, and with a nod from each, they began a very simple step.

Freed could hardly believe it. How long had he wanted to dance with Laxus? Now here they were, bodies swaying together, that massive hand roughened from fighting now gripping his hand, and that arm thick with muscles wrapped around his slender waist.

"You know, I once asked you for a dance."

Laxus jolted. "Huh? You did?"

"Yes, at the ball in Crocus, right after the Grand Magic Games."

"Man, I was so out of it after that fight with Jura, and then the dragons, I barely even remember the party afterward." He tried to think back to that time, but the whole thing now was a blur. "Did you really ask me to dance?"

"Yes. You just turned away." Freed glanced aside, remembering how heartbroken he had been in that moment. "I … thought you were trying to ignore me. You were very popular with the ladies that night. Maybe you were ashamed at the idea of dancing with a man."

"No!" Laxus shouted, and his voice got caught in his throat, almost hitching. "No, I … I totally didn't hear you. I didn't really want to be there anyway. I was exhausted. Seriously, I didn't know you had asked me to dance."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense. It was crowded, my voice was just lost."

Thinking about it still hurt a little, that feeling of being rejected and outright ignored by the man he adored after it took Freed a lot of courage to ask him to dance, but he supposed he had read into it too much. Of course Laxus would not have turned away like that without even acknowledging his offer. He had fought hard, he was busy that night, and Freed's offer had been rather meek and filled with apprehension. He had not been ignored, just drowned out.

"It's good to know you weren't avoiding me."

"Of course not, Freed," he said with a tender smile. "I'm sad I missed out. Maybe I would have had more fun."

Freed was struck silent for a moment, but then he looked aside, shoving away his wild imaginations and wishful thinking. "You must have really hated that ball if dancing with me would have been _more fun_ than having the favor of nobility _._ "

"To hell with nobility! It was all fancy dress and tiny sandwiches and shit. I'm not used to that, don't like it. It's just not me. I look stupid in that sort of costume." His eyes flicked down at the slender man in front of him. "You always look good when you dress fancy."

Freed almost stumbled in his dancing and looked up in astonishment. Those clear, blue eyes were focused on him, and it made Freed shiver a little. "Uh … th-thanks." The song ended, and Freed stepped back. "Up for another?"

"Sure, I think I'm finally getting the hang of this."

"How about I lead this time?"

Freed, lead? Laxus had not even stopped to think that maybe Freed was used to being the lead and guiding his dance partner. He was a man, after all, and in classical dancing, men led. It spoke volumes of Freed's dancing talent that he could flip roles so easily. Laxus figured it was fair to take turns, at least.

However, as another song started up and Freed took his hand, this time with his hand on Laxus' waist, Laxus struggled to adjust to how he should stand. Where did his free hand go? Where was the first step of the waltz? He barely knew how to dance, and he had never paid attention to how his female partner danced. He barely paid attention to having a partner at all.

"I've never danced following someone," he warned.

"It'll be fine. I'll make sure to guide you."

Laxus gulped, but he had to release his uncertainties. He trusted Freed with his life, so he could at least trust him to dance.

They stepped off, and right away Laxus tripped going backward. The three-step pattern was easy enough to learn, but it took a few rounds to get used to dancing by stepping behind him and following backward, not leading forward.

"Realize," Freed schooled, "you're moving backwards now, and your hair—"

"Ow!" Laxus just about fell as his hair was yanked. Luckily, Freed's hand on his waist grasped him right away and held him up by sheer arm power.

"Yeah, it can get caught between the legs." He pulled Laxus back up and helped him to fluff his hair out of the way. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he growled. "I ain't giving up yet."

So stubborn, but that was something Freed admired in Laxus. He was tenacious and endured any challenge. "Let's try some more." They danced, and after a few more pauses as Laxus yanked hair from between his thighs, soon Freed saw the difference. Laxus swayed his body just a little bit more, so that the hair swished out before stepping. "There you go," he praised. "You're getting better."

"I have to focus all the time on where my stupid hair is going."

"After a while, you just know, and it becomes second nature. It's part of your body, so feel it like it's just a piece of you."

Another song began, and they continued dancing. Then another song, and Freed got more adventurous, guiding Laxus around like the dojo was a royal ballroom. Certainly, they were over their alloted hour, but the owner said they could stay as late as they wanted. Laxus almost did not want this night to end.

"Freed?" he asked softly.

Freed had lost himself in thought, as he often did when dancing. "Hmm?"

Laxus glanced to their hands intertwined, the hand on his waist, and the way Freed guided him so surely, Laxus never once wondered where he was going to go next. His talent really showed when he was the one in charge.

"When you asked me to dance that one time, who did you think would lead?"

That question honestly stunned Freed. He could not recall what precisely he had been thinking that day, since it was so long ago. "I guess I hadn't thought … I mean, I assumed that … I'm just used to dancing lead, but I've had dance partners in the past who insisted on leading. Maybe I would have waited to see what you'd do, like I did tonight. I saw you take up the lead stance, so I accommodated. To be honest, I don't think I put any thought into it at the time."

Laxus nodded thoughtfully. "You dance pretty good. I know I stink." Before Freed could protest, Laxus cut in, "If we ever do this again, I want you to lead."

Freed's mouth dropped. Laxus … wanted him … to take the lead?

_This is about dancing, you idiot. He just means being the lead partner in dancing. Stop over-thinking everything. That's what you did back then when he turned away from your offer to dance, and in the end it meant nothing at all. Same with this. Just stop it already!_

"Sure, I can do that much," he said, forcing up a proud smile.

Laxus' brow furrowed slightly at the answer. "Good." He fell silent after that and brooded.

_Dammit, he didn't get it at all._

He looked down at Freed. Younger, smaller, thinner, normally with that gorgeous hair: he knew the stereotypes, and to hell with them all! He was trying to tell Freed what he wanted between the two of them, but of course it was too subtle.

_Seriously, how the hell do you flirt with someone?_

After that song was over, the two stepped back, both a little self-conscious now. Freed looked down at his hand, which still felt warm from the massive fingers that had held it. Laxus was trying to think of a way to ask Freed if he wanted dessert, or a walk, or anything to keep this night going before returning to the hotel and the others waiting for them.

"Ready for a little light sparring?"

Laxus jolted up. Sparring?

"No magic," Freed reminded him.

Oh right, this was supposed to be about training. Laxus had been thinking that maybe he could turn it into a date, but to Freed this was nothing more than a training exercise like normal. _Of course he doesn't think this is a date. We're best friends, and I'm not his type at all._

"Mixed martial arts, then?" asked Laxus.

"If you're up to it."

Then began to fight using only punches, kicks, and throws. Laxus had power, he could lift Freed with ease and throw him to the ground, but Freed was agile. Every throw ended in him rolling out of it, often with kicks to Laxus knees to bring him down instead. Outside, the rain picked up, lightning flashed, but they were so focused on fighting, nothing distracted them.

Nothing, that is, until Laxus' long hair became an issue again.

He had just managed to fend off a kick to the chest, grabbed Freed's ankle, and brought him down in a way he could not roll out. Victoriously, Laxus dropped down to pin Freed, only to get the ever-growing hair wrapped up in his own hands, trapped under his knees, and tangled Freed in a cage of golden hair.

"Ow, damn, it's pulling," he shouted, grabbing at his scalp.

Suddenly, hands had his shoulders, and he was flipped effortlessly. Weight pinned him down, and turquoise eyes gleamed in triumph. Freed had him pinned and straddled over his chest.

"Gotcha!" he said playfully.

Laxus gulped hard at the feel of being pinned down between Freed's thighs. However, before it could get awkward, Freed moved off, jumped up to his feet with a spring, and extended his hand down to help. Laxus took a moment to shove the hair away with many muttered curses, then he took Freed's offered hand. Even standing up from the ground meant his hair got caught under his feet and pulled before he could fully stand upright.

"Even if your hair is caught, you keep fighting," Freed lectured. "It's just some caught strands of hair. It's not going to kill you if they rip out."

Laxus grumbled petulantly, "It hurts."

"Fighting always hurts."

He had a point. Ripping a few hairs out was nothing compared to the injuries he had taken.

Freed wiped sweat from his face, walked over to a sink, and washed up. Laxus accepted a hand towel and wet it to wash away the sweat. Then they set about cleaning the dojo.

"You know," Laxus said as he swept the floor, "I now have a lot of respect for you and anyone else who fights with long hair. How can Erza and Mira do this? It's a lot harder when you have hair in the way."

"It just takes a little extra mindfulness of your own body," Freed said, honestly not sure if long hair made fighting harder, or even easier since sometimes the hair provided balance and momentum. Laxus again shoved his hair back, but got his fingers caught in a knot. "I better brush your hair before we go back. It's a mess."

"Much oblige," Laxus said, leaving the knots to Freed's capable hands.

Laxus had often brushed Freed's hair, but now on the receiving end, he was amazed by how good—and how erotic—it felt when hair was that long. Freed took his time working out the knots, then pampered Laxus with a long, gentle brushing.

"Man, it really feels good," Laxus hummed.

"You mentioned earlier about wanting to pay me back for that shave."

"Yeah. That was the first time someone had ever shaved me. I thought I'd balance the scales, do a _first_ for you."

"Well," Freed reasoned, "this is it."

Laxus glanced behind his shoulder. "Brushing hair? The hell you talkin' about? You brush your hair all the time."

"I mean someone else's."

"You and Evergreen are always doing each other's hair."

"I mean a man," he said with embarrassment. "I've never brushed a man with long hair before. It's … it's really nice," he muttered. "It's a first."

"Oh…" A first? Something as simple as this? Then again, with Freed's penchant for long hair, perhaps this was a bigger deal to him than it seemed to Laxus. It could even be a fetish.

_Oh God, he doesn't want me to keep it at this length, right?_

"It still looks terrible on you," Freed said teasingly.

"Oh hell yes!" Laxus laughed, slightly relieved that Freed was not going to request that he leave it long, because _by God_ , he probably would if it made this man happy.

Freed sighed in contentment. "I'll probably be the only person ever to brush your hair when it's long."

"Yeah, my first and only."

Both froze. Laxus' eyes went massive and his face paled as he realized what he just said. Freed's cheeks went instantly red, and his throat choked up with a slight cry of surprise.

"Wow, that came out wrong," Laxus said, trying to laugh it off.

"R-right," Freed muttered.

Laxus sighed silently and scowled while thinking, _No, it didn't._

"I'm gonna head off first," Laxus declared, moving away from the hairbrush without turning around to show his blush.

"We only brought one umbrella."

"I won't need it. I'm gonna whack this hair off before bed so I don't strangle myself to death in my sleep. Then I'm gonna get a snack."

"A snack? I didn't notice lightning."

"Oh, it's out there. I can _smell_ it."

Freed watched him go. He sighed and began to change out of the uniform.

 _First and only_.

He slammed his eyes shut. Of course Laxus just said that without thinking. A person who actually had a crush on you would not say weird stuff like that and then laugh it off as nothing.

Freed felt like he was the only one here acting awkward.

He wadded the white uniform up into his hands and growled out his frustrations. These feelings were tearing him apart inside. Every time he thought he had a handle on his infatuation, something happened that put lewd thoughts back into his mind.

He needed to get over this. Maybe there was a magic potion to stop being in love with your best friend.

Outside, Laxus stepped into the rain and raised his head to the sky, letting his annoying long hair slick back. He wondered, if he stood there long enough, could he wash away the filth he felt in his soul for having these perverted thoughts about Freed?

"Fuck," he whispered.

 _First and only_? How stupid was that? For one, he would not be Freed's _first_ , nor would Freed be his. And only? That was really too optimistic.

Laxus slapped his hands over his face, combed the drenched hair back, then dragged his fingers down, clawing at his cheeks, as if he could dig these feelings out of his brain and bury them in the mud puddles, drown them in the rain barrels, and sear them with the flashes of lightning he saw off in the distance.

"The hell's wrong with me?" he said in frustration.

He stomped off into the night, wanting to lose himself in the storm until the lightning numbed away all his anguish.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _For those who don't follow me on Tumblr and Facebook, I have long hair. Really, REALLY long hair. I've even done modeling thanks to having hair almost to my ankles._
> 
>   
>  _(The picture I posted online that got the attention of a photographer and landed me a modeling job.)_
> 
> _So Freed's little discourse on moving with hair, all of Laxus' little frustrations, and Freed's admittance that, when you have long hair for years, you aren't really bothered by it anymore, or you learn to deal with it, are all totally from experience. Yeah, my hair gets caught in things, but I don't really even notice anymore unless it's a hard enough pull to rip the hair out._
> 
> _I'm learning Tai Chi, and one thing I noticed is that my movements are really different depending on how my hair is done that day, be it a bun, braid, ponytail, low tie, or loose. So that part of the chapter is based on something I'm just realizing: how you style your hair really affects martial arts and body movement. Once I realized this, I began to do Tai Chi with my hair down, so I can find my sense of balance better._


	5. Quirks

There were not many large storms near Magnolia. Even in the wildest Spring weather, the worst they might get was monsoon winds and downpours. Lightning, though, was a rarity.

That meant Laxus did not get to _snack_ too often.

The irony was, he used to be terrified of thunderstorms as a child. His father always looked disgusted when Laxus would yelp at the bright flash of lightning and crack of thunder in the night. He sometimes wondered if that was why Ivan had put the lacrima of a lightning dragon into him, although how rare such lacrima was, it was probably just bad luck for him.

By the time he reached his teens, some people in the guild teased Laxus for being a _storm chaser_. Now he was powerful enough to not need to eat lightning to recharge, but if he happened to be in a storm, it was good to treat himself and power up a bit.

He hiked up into the hills outside of town. Out there, he stretched his hands out, feeling the rain pelting him. The world flashed, his ears rang with the boom, and he felt the energy of the storm flowing through him.

The boy who once feared lightning now devoured it.

* * *

Although Laxus had told him to go home, Freed followed some distance behind. He saw flashes up ahead, lighting the world into brightness and long shadows, then the crack of thunder slowly getting louder as he got closer, until it hurt his ears.

"Lightning Dragon's Heavenward Halberd!"

He was close, and he saw the flash from the attack through the trees. There were more flashes. Was Laxus calling the lightning down to him?

Freed knew one rule about fighting near Laxus: you gave him space. It was common for Laxus to pull the strongest fighter away and let Freed, Bickslow, and Evergreen handle the rest. It was not an insult to them. Their magic worked best on large groups. Evergreen could turn a whole crowd to stone, Bickslow just had to look into someone's eyes to control their soul, and when given enough time, Freed could enchant an entire city with his runes. Laxus fought best one-on-one, and when he went all out, sometimes his magic got … well, _reckless_. All of them had been accidentally electrocuted by him at least once. Bickslow, a few times.

So when Freed felt tingles in his short, green hair strands, he knew not to get too much closer. If he still had his long hair, it would have been standing straight up with all the static in the air.

"I smell you, you know," Laxus called out.

Freed said nothing. He knew there was no way to hide from Laxus. He probably knew Freed had been following since the very beginning. However, since he had not told him to go away, that was as good as an invitation … to keep his distance, at least.

Lightning struck again, and Freed took an instinctive step back as he felt the tingle in the air. In the midst of the flash, he saw Laxus with his face raised and his mouth open, devouring the jolt that would kill most men. Although Laxus had just chopped off a bunch of his long hair, now his hair stuck out around him, a victim to the static in the air, spiked with the rain, until he looked like some terrifying beast out of a nightmare.

And yet Freed knew this was the man he adored … the man he loved.

Freed watched in silent awe until Laxus finally stretched out his neck and wiped his mouth, as if he truly had just eaten a dessert. He stepped down from the crest of the hill, and the crazy lightning settled down to a soft, low rumble. Freed remained planted, looking at the man with longish blond hair. He hardly even looked like Laxus anymore.

"Let's go," the blond said in a deep command.

Despite how he looked, the voice was the same, and it calmed Freed's racing heart. Those blue eyes were not gentle for most people, but amongst his closest friends, Laxus' tender side shined brighter than any flash of lightning.

Freed walked beside him back down the hill as the storm drifted away. The wet ground sucked at their boots, but they made it back into the small town and to the hotel room they were going to share. They heard loud snoring down the hall; that would be Bickslow. Freed saw the time and guessed Evergreen was also asleep. They had stayed out a lot later than Freed meant.

"You can get the shower first," said Freed.

"No, really, you can."

"Laxus." Freed tugged on the blond hair. Although Laxus had used his lightning to sear it off, already it was reaching Laxus' shoulders again. "You'll catch a cold."

Laxus stuck his lower lip out like a petulant child. With abashment, he admitted, "I have no fuckin' clue how to wash long hair."

Freed stared at him in surprise. "Haven't you ever showered with a woman?"

"Sure, but I didn't wash her hair."

"Pour on shampoo, scrub into a lather, rinse with water. Seriously, how hard is that?"

"Of course you think it's easy," Laxus snapped. "You had time for your hair to get long, and to get used to it. I'm a freak!" he yelled, tearing at the wet locks. "I can fucking _feel_ my hair growing longer as I stand here. Ya know what? Screw the shower. By the time I wake up, most of my hair will be magically back and unwashed, so screw it."

He spun around and began to storm off, but Freed snatched his sleeve.

"I … can do it."

Laxus had to admit, part of him was really hoping that Freed would eagerly offer to wash his hair for him. Freed always offered to wash his back, or even give him massages. He had grown used to it, and he really liked those moments. The fact that Freed sounded less-than-thrilled made him feel like he was just taking advantage of his generosity.

"Don't bother. I'll just wash down and—"

"I said I'll do it," he cut in. "You're grumpy now, I know you take annoyingly long showers when you're grumpy, and I'm cold from the rain, so I should warm up as well, right? If I were to catch a cold, who would take care of you? But brush your teeth first. You forgot your toothbrush—again—so use mine. We'll buy you one in the morning. You are incredibly high-maintenance, you know that?"

Laxus looked at Freed. Despite his little tirade, his eyes were down and his face flushed. What was running through his mind? Was he mad? Annoyed? Embarrassed? Just as Laxus began to wonder, and even hope, that this might mean more to Freed, those turquoise eyes glared up, and it was the _leader look_ he often had.

"Brush your teeth, and then I will wash your hair and scrub your back," he said decisively.

Laxus knew not to argue.

Deep down inside, Freed was torn. He had washed Laxus many times, but he knew that was just indulging himself. He always went to Laxus, asking for the honor of washing him. Rarely had Laxus been the one to request Freed's help. While the request stunned him and made him self-conscious, he had come to a conclusion.

Laxus was asking because he trusted Freed. Obviously, he was not asking because he was attracted. If Laxus actually was attracted to him, he would _never_ ask to shower together, because it would be too embarrassing and personal. This was just a moment between close friends, nothing more. He could not let his emotions get in the way of Laxus' needs.

They went to the bathroom, and Freed prepared the shower, getting it to the heat he knew Laxus liked. He heard the toothbrush— _He's skimping on how long to brush again_ —then rustling clothes behind him, but Freed forced himself not to look as Laxus stripped. Then he saw out of the corner of his eye, that muscular, tattooed body coming up. He pulled his hand back from the raining shower and stepped aside.

"It should be hot enough," he said, and he moved away, struggling not to look down at what was hanging between Laxus' legs.

Freed faced the other way as Laxus got into the shower. He looked at himself in the mirror and saw that short haircut again. He had hated that haircut. It marked his dishonor, obeying Laxus over the entire guild, fighting and nearly killing people who should have been friends. Laxus, however, said the short hair looked good. Freed glanced back. Laxus had not closed the shower door, leaving it open for Freed to join him.

Freed gazed at his whole body, allowing himself this one guilty pleasure. He seriously wanted that body! He loved Laxus and worshiped him, to the point where he had turned against his guild for him. Everything about him: his strength, his gentleness, his quirks, his sense of justice, his dark side, his tender side, his eyes, his muscles, his ass, his hair … even long, even with Laxus leaning his head back into the streaming water and letting his golden hair sweep down his back, Freed loved it and yearned to touch it.

That was partly why he knew that washing Laxus' hair was so dangerous. In bathhouses, he was covered down below while scrubbing Laxus' back, and there were other people around to keep his mind on the moment and not lost thinking about the could-have-beens. He played it off as just being a trustworthy friend, but the truth was, it thrilled him too greatly.

"Hurry up, before you catch cold," Laxus ordered.

Freed removed his wet clothes. He simply had to do this, to attend to Laxus like he always did. Laxus trusted him, as two guys and two teammates.

Dammit … he wished he knew a rune to kill his arousal. He would have to look into that later.

"Freed?"

He covered himself below with his hands and moved toward the shower.

"Modest as always," Laxus said in a lightly teasing tone.

Before stepping into the shower, Freed knew he had to move his hands away. When he did, Laxus' eyes went straight down to the erection.

"Oh," he said, sounding stunned.

"It's just a natural reaction. I'm cold and wet," Freed lied, and he moved into the water. "It'll go away once I warm up."

Laxus tried not to think too much about it, but he still had to wonder. Of course, arousals happened no matter what, but could it also be because of him? Even if Freed was not in love with him— _Obviously, he isn't!—_ he could still admire the male body. Laxus realized he had gotten hard a few times when Lucy managed to lose her clothes, or that one time when Mira and Erza went sub and dom on each other. Most of the men in Fairy Tail got hard seeing that! Yet he was not in love with any of them.

"Ya ever get hard for Gray?" he suddenly asked.

Freed's eyes widened, and an astonished "What?" fell off his dropped-open mouth.

"I was just thinking about boners."

"Please don't."

"I've gotten hard when one of the girls ends up naked. Just can't help it, ya know. So I was wondering if you've ever had that problem with guys like Gray. He ends up naked on a daily basis. Does it work the same way with you? You see a naked guy and _bam_ , tent in your pants?"

Freed was about to tell him not to make crude small talk, but he supposed this was Laxus' way of normalizing his embarrassing situation. Laxus was talking about this to show Freed that it was okay and he was not disgusted. It was his way of being kind.

"Perhaps at first. I recall, he was fourteen and I was sixteen the first time I saw Gray strip out of his clothes at the guild. It was … awkward."

"Did you dream about him?"

"Laxus!"

"I once had a totally terrifying dream about Erza. Most awkward few days of my life after that dream. I could barely look at her."

"Why terrifying?" he asked, curious although he did not want to hear about Laxus and women.

"She was a total dominatrix and had me tied up."

Freed choked and turned away. His arousal had almost gone down with talking, but now he could not get the image out of his head of Laxus bound in ropes, struggling and blushing, but himself instead of Erza, smirking down at his helplessly ensnared slave.

"Sorry," Laxus muttered. "That's probably disgusting to you."

He could say nothing, because his mind would not erase the erotic scene and his throat was tight with holding back a sensual groan.

"So, can you get my hair?"

Freed almost wanted to flee. He wanted to get out of there and jerk off to what he saw in his imagination just now. He realized that image would haunt him for weeks.

"Hair! Right." He had to focus, get his task done, and maybe … no, if he jerked off, Laxus would be able to smell it. He had grumbled before about hating that he could smell cum when Bickslow did that sort of thing in the shower.

"Freed?"

"Shampoo!" he demanded. _Just get it over with._

However, as he poured shampoo onto Laxus' hair and worked it in, he slowed down. Laxus with long hair! What a weird and unique opportunity.

"Let me know if it's okay," Freed said, getting the shampoo to the tips.

Laxus hummed, obviously enjoying it. Freed smiled to himself and slowly relaxed. Sure, Laxus in bondage was a great image to have, but this right here, attending Laxus, assisting him, pleasuring him in this simple way, was also really nice.

"You know," Freed said casually, "I've never actually washed long hair besides my own." He chuckled to himself. "This is a first."

Laxus recalled how he wanted a first. "Brushing hair, now washing hair?"

"Long hair," he corrected.

Ah … only long hair. Freed had dated and had serious boyfriends. He had likely showered with men before, but at least washing this cursed long hair was a first. Shampoo, then conditioner, all rinsed, and then Freed offered to scrub his back, moving the hair to the side so he could wash the whole thing. He then gave Laxus a massage.

"You're tense," he noted as he pressed his thumbs into the huge shoulders.

"Been stressed with this hair. It's probably putting a strain on my neck. I'll be fine; it'll go away eventually."

Freed hummed. He was starting to like the long hair. Maybe it didn't _look_ good on a guy like Laxus, but it was nice to play with it.

Laxus turned around. "All right, let me get you."

Get … him?

' _He's straight, you idiot. Just shut up, turn around, and let him return the favor. It's just sharing a shower between friends. It means nothing_. _'_

Freed allowed Laxus to wash his back, although he realized he did not offer to get his hair. Laxus had said he showered with women, but he never washed their hair. Maybe that was something he did not like to do.

"I miss your hair," he heard Laxus mutter, almost too softly to catch.

He missed it? Maybe he actually would have liked to wash Freed's hair. Doubtful, but it was a nice thought.

"Damn."

He glanced around, worrying if Laxus was okay, only to see him blushing and erect … _very_ erect.

' _Holy shit!_ '

He had seen Laxus naked before, but never like that. It was _intimidating_ … and oh-so-tempting. Freed looked away, eyes wide, trying to calm himself.

He was just inches away from Laxus. If he took a step back, he would feel that massive cock pressed up against his skin. Damn, he wanted it, and those desires made him aroused all over again.

"I'll get out so you can deal with that," Freed offered.

"You haven't finished washing."

"It's fine. You … you can deal with that."

"Freed."

"Sorry."

"Hey, you got nothing to be sorry about."

Of course not. Laxus wasn't aroused for _him_. Of course he wasn't! So … why was he? Was it something he was thinking about? Maybe he was thinking about Erza again. That was always dangerous! She'd probably beat Laxus up, and Freed honestly wasn't sure who would win in a fight between Laxus and Erza.

Laxus muttered deeply, "You gotta deal with your issue, too."

Fuck! He saw!

"Don't do it in the main room or I'll be smelling it all night. How about you—"

"I can step out…"

"—do it in here?"

Freed looked back at Laxus in astonishment. "Here?"

Laxus shrugged awkwardly. "I need to deal with this, and so do you."

Freed's heart was racing so hard, he had to breathe faster to stop feeling dizzy. "Do you mean—" _No! Stop! Of course he doesn't mean that._ "Do you … want a hand job?"

"No!"

_Of course not._

"Freed, I may like your massages, but I would never force you to do that."

It would not be forcing him. Freed wondered if there was a way to offer without sounding totally whorish.

"The cum gets washed away in the shower, so I don't have to smell it for very long." Laxus turned his back. "We can just do it like this, back to back, so we don't have to watch each other. If that's too weird, I'll get out so you can make it a quick one and I'll take care of myself later."

"No, we … that is, if it's not disgusting to you, doing something like that with another man next to you."

"If it's you, I don't mind."

Freed's cheeks went pink, and he looked away. "You honor me too much with your trust."

Laxus looked down and felt an ache in his heart. It wasn't so much about _trust_ as _curiosity_. Damn, he wanted so much more! He wanted Freed's hands on him and to watch him, to hear him moan and smell him sweat.

"Can … can we switch places?" Freed felt his heart pounding too hard to talk normally. "I prefer to have the water running on me, if that's okay. Also, that way you're not disgusted so much with my smell."

Laxus wanted to assure him, it was not disgusting. It was wonderful! He could already smell a slight change, and he wanted to be close to Freed precisely because he wanted to smell more. However, if he said all that, he knew it would gross him out. The ladies Laxus had slept with were always disgusted whenever he said he could _smell them_.

So Laxus kept quiet and just moved to the side so they could switch places in the shower. As they slid past one another, he felt Freed's ass brush past his own, soft and smooth. Laxus looked over his shoulder briefly. Damn, what an ass!

"Better?" asked Laxus.

"Yes, thank you."

Freed actually wanted to be closer to the shower because he hoped it would mask his sounds. He was known for being … _less than quiet_ in the bedroom. Many of his boyfriends had commented on just how noisy he could get during sex. Although Laxus' hearing was keen, maybe the sound of the shower would drown it out a little bit. If he could mask any noises he made even a little, that would make this less awkward for both of them.

"Right then," Laxus muttered, and he wrapped his fingers around his cock.

Freed glanced back, saw Laxus' wrist getting to work, and slammed his eyes shut. How could Laxus ask to do this? Why? He knew Freed was gay. Did he seriously not realize how tempted he would be?

Laxus trusted him. Maybe this was a way to show Freed just how far that trust went. Freed did not trust himself, though. If he told Laxus that he was not comfortable with this, it might hurt Laxus' feelings. If he told Laxus that the reason he was not comfortable was because he seriously wanted to feel Laxus' hand stroking him and to suck on that massive cock until he choked … no way could he admit that!

Was it really okay to do this, although the reason Freed was aroused was because of Laxus himself? Wasn't this taking advantage of his best friend?

If he stepped out, Laxus would not scold him. He would also never do this again around Freed, thinking it was too much. Part of Freed silently hoped that maybe their friendship could include even this level of trust, because he really liked the idea of sharing this sort of sensual experience with Laxus. It was a greed desire, but one that he still wanted.

Laxus realized Freed had not made an effort to touch himself yet. Maybe this was too much. He was being greedy, asking Freed to do this. He had asked things of him before that Freed was not fully willing to do. Still, not only was this something Laxus really wanted to experience on a selfish, sensual level, it was a level of trust they had not experimented with yet. He wanted Freed to trust him more and more. Maybe … this was too much.

Still, Laxus was determined to do this. His selfish side wanted it, and he wanted to convince Freed that it was okay.

"What if one day I broke both arms, and I needed someone to help me jerk off? Could I trust you to do that?"

"Absolutely," Freed said without hesitation.

Laxus just grunted as if satisfied with the answer, and Freed heard him continue on with stroking himself.

' _Wait, what sort of question was that? Was it to show trust?_ '

"What about me?" Freed asked, slightly curious. "If I broke both of my arms—"

"I wouldn't let anyone else jerk you off but me."

 _Shit!_ Freed had to grab himself as a spike of desire jolted him worse than any electrical zap.

"That is, if you'd want me to."

"Yes!" Freed said, a little too loudly, a little too needy. He slapped his hand over his mouth and began to stroke himself as he allowed his imagination to drift, him sitting on the couch with his arms out of the way, letting Laxus do all the work, like pulling his cock out, stroking it, uncertainly at first, but slowly growing bolder, pleasuring Freed, maybe even leaning over to suck on him. ' _Shit, I want that._ '

"If you ever need help like that, I want you to ask me."

Never in his life had Freed actually wanted to break his arms before, but if it meant Laxus might actually touch him … if he could feel Laxus stroke him, feel those thick, strong fingers gliding up and down…

Laxus listened back, trying to match Freed's rhythm, but he realized he was going rather fast all of a sudden. He glanced over his shoulder, sneaking a peek at Freed's cock and how his slender fingers looked wrapped around it. He sneered silently as his cock tensed even more in desire, and he tried to focus back on himself. Shit! He had asked Freed that question just to show he trusted him, hoping to keep him in the shower and not running in prudishness. He had not expected the question to be flung back at him, and he had never imagined that Freed would react that way. It really seemed to turn him on.

Could he actually like the idea?

"Freed?"

It was faint, but he heard a moan. _Shit!_ Laxus said nothing else, trying to listen over the noise of the shower. Freed was breathing through his nose to silence himself, he still had a hand over his mouth, but Laxus heard him breathing fast and hard, synced awkwardly with his stroking hand. He heard a whimper, which Freed tried to suppress, but it was there. Then another moan, choked down, but not in time for Laxus to miss it. Freed was a lot more vocal than he had imagined him to be, and Laxus wondered how he might sound if that hand was not covering his mouth, if he was open about it, moaning his name, whimpering for him, panting hard from his own hand.

Shit, he was _not_ going to last long!

"Freed."

He meant to warn him that he would come, and the shower would sweep the cum over to the drain, where Freed's feet were. If that was gross to him, he should step out of the way, or maybe trade places. However, the deep groan and surge in smell as Laxus said his name snapped something in him.

"Freed?" he said again, and sure enough, hearing his voice was making Freed's smell of arousal skyrocket. "Fuck!"

Blame it on the lightning he ate and the power surging through his body, making him wilder than usual, but Laxus suddenly turned around and grabbed Freed, pulling him in close. He pulled away the hand covering that noisy mouth, and Freed gasped at the forceful embrace.

"Just imagine I'm one of your boyfriends," Laxus said gruffly, and he reached down to stroke Freed's cock.

"Laxus!" he moaned, and Freed leaned back into him. "Oh God!"

It was precisely what he had been imagining with every sound of Laxus' voice, his name on those lips, and now he felt that terrifyingly huge cock pressed up against his ass, rocking against him, humping against his lower back. Freed tried to cover his mouth again, but Laxus reached up and yanked the hand away.

"Let me hear you."

The moan he had hoped to squelch came out, echoing through the shower.

"Shit, Freed."

Freed slammed both hands on the shower wall to hold himself up as he felt himself tensing more and more, too overwhelmed to stop or think or care or _anything_ but needing it.

Laxus saw Freed clawing into the wall. Was he scared? He didn't smell scared, but to be honest, he could not smell anything over the arousal and sweat of their bodies.

"Laxus," he heard in a faint whisper.

Damn! He went too far. "I'll stop—"

"No!" Freed's ass pressed back, right into his arousal. "God, no."

Fuck it all! "Spread your legs."

Freed didn't even care if that meant something more, if he meant he wanted sex, _anything at all_. He spread his feet apart and braced himself. However, instead of trying to ram in without lube or condom, Laxus slid his cock between Freed's thighs, over his balls, up to his cock, and then reached down to rub the two of them together.

Freed looked down and saw the tip of Laxus' penis right at the base of his own. "Oh shit," he whispered. No boyfriend was long enough to do that! He felt Laxus thrusting against him, stroking balls and cock and feeling his hand pleasuring them together. Then he felt Laxus' mouth on his shoulder, sucking and lightly biting at his neck.

"Nnngh! Laxus!"

"Oh fuck."

Freed heard a groan, and Laxus' entire body slammed against him. He heard grunts, felt his haunches tense up, and as he looked down, he saw the cock just under his burst with white, covering him, dripping over his cock and down his thighs.

Laxus didn't stop, though. He grabbed Freed's cock fully and stroked him quickly, needfully, those rough hands slipping over water and cum and Freed's own slick messiness. Freed moaned loudly, not even holding back as he sank into Laxus' chest and came undone by his hand.

"Freed," he heard, softly, lovingly. He felt kisses on his neck and heard what he swore sounded like a dragon purring.

It took him a lot longer than usual to recover. He tingled all the way to his toes. Laxus' body now weighed heavy where it pressed against him. However, as soon as Freed began to move, Laxus took a step back.

Freed looked down. There was cum on the wall, on his cock, dripping down his thighs, and swirling in the drain water at his toes. His cum. Laxus' cum. Theirs mixed together.

Why? How? It made no sense.

He turned around to Laxus and looked up at him in confusion.

"I thought you were straight."

Laxus froze, and his face fell in horror.

_Oh shit._

Freed agreed to a mutual jerk-off because he thought Laxus was straight, so of course he would not be interested. It must be the only reason he agreed to this, because he felt safe, just like how Evergreen felt safe bathing with Freed around, because she knew he was gay and not the least bit interested in her.

He broke Freed's trust. Not only that, he had grabbed him without permission. Freed had not stopped him, but maybe he felt like he could not say no. After all, Freed had a history of obeying Laxus even when he did not want to do something.

Freed thought Laxus was straight, that this was just between friends, that they could do this together in a safe environment, and he had _grabbed_ him like that. Laxus' heart plummeted sickly as he realized … he had just _molested_ Freed.

He stepped back, torn with guilt. Shit, how could he have fucked up _that badly_? Now Freed looked so confused, or was he looking hurt? He fucking _couldn't tell the difference_.

Laxus knew him too well. If he told the truth, Freed would accept that Laxus had feelings for him. He might even agree to date, out of a sense of duty, or obligation, or some shit like that. Laxus knew that what he really deserved was a punch in the balls for doing that to a man who trusted him so earnestly.

"I'm so sorry," he muttered, and he stormed out of the shower.

"Laxus!" Freed called out, but in a flash the Lightning Dragon Slayer fled from the bathroom.

Freed was left staring at an empty room, still panting from exhaustion, craving to be held but all alone. He still felt the cum dripping along his hips and thighs.

"What just happened?" he asked with a tremble.

He thought Laxus was straight. The only reason he never openly confessed was because he thought _for certain_ that Laxus had no interest at all in men.

Did this mean he actually was interested? Was this just an accident, an impulse, some weird dragon instinct? He reached up to his neck and felt a bruise there from Laxus biting him. What sort of sexual instincts did Dragon Slayers have, anyway?

He had wanted Laxus to touch him _so much_ , yet when it actually happened, Laxus ran off. Freed slammed his eyes shut. It must have been nothing more than an impulse, and now … now Laxus was gone.

' _He must have hated it. Of course he wouldn't want me. I'm so stupid!_ '

Freed covered his mouth, overwhelmed with bliss, warmth, confusion, and regret. He wanted to bask in the fact that Laxus had just pleasured him, and he wanted to sob that they had stepped way past the boundary of being _just friends_.

' _Now what do I do? How do I win him back? Can we even go back to how we were before? Why … why did he do that?_ _ **Why?**_ '

Freed was so confused, a tear slipped down. All alone with the thrumming feeling of the afterglow, he could only hugged himself to feel better.


	6. Gaming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning comes, and it's time to take a gamble. Can either of them sort out what happened last night? Or will they come up with empty hands?

When Freed finally left the shower, Laxus was not there. A search around showed that he had taken pants, shoes, his coat, but no underwear, socks, or shirt. Maybe he had gone out into the storm to eat more lightning, or he hit a bar to get drunk and sleep with the first willing woman he could find.

How did this even happen? It felt like a dream, yet Freed's fantasies like this ended in them cuddling, not with Laxus fleeing with a look of guilt on his face.

Freed desperately wanted to believe this was Laxus' secret desire, that maybe he was infatuated and just didn't know how to express it besides aggressive displays and taking what he wanted. That bit of hope warmed him up inside against the stormy coldness of the hotel's leaky window, but he was afraid to hope too much only to be crushed.

He tried to stay up, but an hour passed. He curled up on a couch by a magical heater and read a book while listening to the storm patter against the windows with distant rolling thunder punctuated by flashes and sharp cracks overhead. His eyes grew heavy, but he was determined to wait up for Laxus. They needed to talk.

He had no clue when he actually fell asleep, but he woke up with sunlight filling the hotel room, a pillow under his head, and Laxus' coat draped over him. Immediately in front of him was a letter.

" _Sorry for running off. I hope you didn't wait up too long for me, but I know you. You should have just gone to sleep and used the bed. I left with Bickslow to get breakfast and check on the roads. There's coffee. We can talk later. Sorry about everything. Laxus._ "

Sorry about everything? Had Laxus not meant it? Had it truly been just an instinctive impulse with no deeper meaning? Freed wanted to believe it meant more, but he could not figure out how it could mean anything at all.

Laxus was straight … right? They were just best friends … weren't they?

Freed went into the bathroom and almost screamed when he saw himself in the mirror.

"Oh, right. My hair is short," he said aloud. Yesterday was slow to come back to him. What happened in the shower had washed away thoughts of the fight, little Teddy, the hair curses, everything else.

Freed looked into the mirror and turned his head to inspect the hickey. It was not bad, with any luck it would be gone in a day or two, but it showed what his brain still could not process. Laxus had wanted to jerk off together in the shower, only to turn around and give him a hand job.

Why did he do it? Why did he run off?

He washed, dressed, poured himself a cup of coffee, and was settling back into his book when the door opened. Freed spewed his drink out when he saw Laxus walk in with hair past his ankles and hanging into his eyes, and Bickslow with a blue afro so massive, he got stuck in the door.

"You're up!" Bickslow said in a chirpy voice as he poofed his hair inward to fit through. "Laxus said you were up all night reading."

He looked over at Laxus, who was avoiding his gaze by letting his hair fall in front of his face. "Yeah … good book."

"At least washing your hair is easy. I clogged my shower with my hair."

Shower! Freed looked over at Laxus again. When he had shampooed the blond hair last night, it was barely to his shoulders. It had grown right back overnight. In another hour, it would probably be past his feet again. Was this new hair as soft as what he had felt last night? He wanted to wash all this hair he had not yet gotten to touch.

Bickslow cocked his head to the side. "Are you okay, Freed?"

"What?" he said a little too loudly. Dammit, he needed to calm down.

"Are you upset about that hairstyle? I know it's the same one you had after Laxus left. You shouldn't let it get you down, send you into self-loathing or anything like that."

Laxus spoke up. "He doesn't need to worry." His eyes directly met Freed's now. "I'm not running away."

That simple promise soothed something that had been trembling in Freed's heart, and it made his shoulders relax again. After what happened last night, he had worried that it would permanently destroy their close bond. Laxus was promising that this would not be the case. Freed was unsure what precisely that meant for the two of them, but at least Laxus was determined to work something out to keep their bond of trust.

"Your hair will be fine," Laxus added.

"I kinda miss it already," Bickslow admitted. "You just don't look like _Freed_ with short hair."

Freed nodded to their reassurances. "Luckily, even if that little boy doesn't want to turn us back to normal, Lucy has a Celestial Spirit who has hair magic."

"That crab guy, right?" Bickslow said, and he brought in the breakfast they had bought.

"Cancer, yes," Freed said, helping him to set up a box of donuts and the town's famous fried chicken served with waffles. "After I had cut my hair that last time, I instantly regretted it. I had meant for the haircut to be penance, but it was just a terrible idea, didn't suit me at all, so Levy talked to Lucy, and she had Cancer fixed my hair back to its former length. First, we need someone to undo the enchantment. Cancer might be able to do something about it, but with such a highly complex enchantment, we might need Wendy to help out."

"I just want this damn hair gone," Laxus said, shoving the blond strands out of his face.

"So, are we leaving soon?" Freed asked as he poured syrup on his waffles.

"Fuckin' no!" Laxus growled, snapping into a donut and munching it like he wanted to murder the poor pastry.

"It's from the storm last night," Bickslow explained. "Apparently, it was a lot worse down south. All the main roads from here to Freesia were wiped out due to landslides and flooding. The only way out of town is the train, but all lines are being rerouted east."

"Well, that's totally out of our way," Freed grumbled. "What about alternative roads?"

"If you want to go hiking, maybe, but the only path from Avedaville to the main road is buried in debris. No carts in or out for probably a week. The train is only running because it goes under the mountain through a tunnel and bypasses the landslide."

Freed sighed and reached up to run his hand through his hair, only to realize there was only fuzz left. "What a mess!"

"We can do a train," Laxus said, not sounding like he was keen with the idea.

Bickslow raised an eyebrow. "You know what happened to the last time you were on a train."

"Shut up! I'll deal with it."

Bickslow shrugged and ate a waffle. "If we can get to Clover, we can make our way home. That's still three hours by train. Maybe you can deal with it, but I'm not sure Evergreen can. The psychological effects of the hairstyling are still affecting her strongly. That's why I'm worried about you, Freed. You said the affects hit you pretty hard as well."

"Only at first," he said. "This hairstyle isn't nauseatingly hideous, just … not a hairstyle I like." He could feel Laxus' eyes on him, but he was unable to look over. "Let's look into the train. It's either that or we're stuck here for a week, and frankly, I want to get back to Magnolia and get this hair fixed as soon as possible."

"Agreed," Laxus said.

Bickslow crammed the last of his fried chicken and waffles into his mouth. "Then I'll go buy tickets. Any preference?"

"The sooner, the better," Freed suggested.

Bickslow grabbed a donut before heading off. That left Laxus and Freed alone with a world of awkwardness between them. Freed looked down at his food, wishing that maybe he had thought to escape by going along with Bickslow. Then again, they needed to talk. How, though?

"This town really does make good fried chicken," he said as a starter. Seriously, how pathetic! Talking about food was only slightly better than talking about the weather.

"Freed."

Like last night, that deep voice alone sent shivers over Freed's body.

"I want you to know, I trust you."

Freed looked up in surprise. Trust him?

"And … I want you to be able to trust me."

"I do," he said immediately.

Laxus looked pained by such easy, blind devotion. "What I did last night…"

Laxus did not want to say _it was a mistake_. It wasn't! It was something he had wanted to do for a long time, so desperately that he could no longer hold himself back. Still, if it ruined their friendship, then _that_ was the mistake. If it in any way lessened Freed's trust, he would wish it had never happened.

"I'm … sorry," he forced out, "if it upset you."

"W-what?"

"I … didn't ask," he muttered. Laxus drew his fingers up into fists. "I didn't ask you for permission. I barely know what was going through my head. It just … happened."

"But you did ask."

"No, I didn't."

"You did! You asked if I wanted you to stop. I didn't tell you to."

"Yeah, but I didn't ask if it was okay to do it in the first place."

He smiled at the awkwardly gruff man. "Laxus, if I had hated it, I would have stopped you."

Laxus knew he was right. Maybe his strength could overpower most people, but he knew for a fact and from experience, Freed was one of the few people who could defeat him. Maybe physically he was stronger, but Freed's magic was so powerful, he had brought Laxus to his knees and sobbing in agony with merely one simple rune. When he got serious, Laxus doubted if even Gildarts could withstand Freed's magic. If Laxus had done something that utterly repulsed him, Freed could have incapacitated him with ease.

That left him with a question, though.

"Why didn't you?"

Freed choked up. Crap! What was he supposed to say? That he did not stop Laxus because it was something he had wanted for so long, something he had dreamed about, pleasuring himself with the thought of it? He couldn't say that!

"I, um … that is … I trust you, and … and that was something you…" That was something Laxus wanted … but was it? He looked guilty about it now. Freed had begun to hope that maybe, just maybe, Laxus was actually attracted to him. The severe look on his face now crushed that tiny seed of hope. "I don't know," he admitted. "I just didn't think to stop it. I … wasn't against it."

Shit! He was all but confessing now. However, Laxus looked confused. Was it not already obvious what he was saying?

"What the hell does that mean?"

Yep, Laxus was clueless after all. "It means, I didn't mind." ' _Come on and get the hint already! This is obvious for anyone by now._ '

Laxus had a strange look on his face, with his brow creased and his lips curled up. Freed worried if it was disgust. He must have really fucked things up now.

"How could you say that?" Laxus yelled.

The shout jolted him back and shattered his heart. Laxus was angry at him! "I know, I—"

"I fuckin' _molested_ you!"

Wait, what? Molested? Was that really how Laxus saw this?

"No, Laxus. You didn't—"

"I did!" he yelled. "Dammit, don't you dare brush this aside. You don't get to say stuff like _I didn't mind_ when shit like that happens, especially not with me. Goddammit, you're allowed to be mad about this. I broke your trust."

"No. Molesting is when you do something someone doesn't want."

"I fuckin' _know_ what it means."

"And that's why it's not that."

Laxus froze, and his eyes narrowed, looking confused again. "What?"

"I … was not opposed to it." Embarrassment crept up into his cheeks, and his heart raced as he had to confess something he had hidden for so long. Still, Laxus seemed to not get it. Overwhelmed with humiliation, Freed shouted, "Seriously, how bluntly do I have to say this for you to understand?"

Laxus' gaze dropped, and Freed could see by the flinches and twitches to his eyebrows, his words were slowly sinking in. It pained him, worrying that this was going to destroy everything. Still, he had to be honest. It was time to confess.

"It was something you did without asking, yes … and it was something I was not opposed to doing. So it wasn't that you molested me, but that you did something I didn't mind."

Laxus still glared down at a half-eaten donut. "Was it … something you wanted?"

Freed sighed a little as he realized Laxus must have finally figured it out. "It was my choice not to stop you."

His heart was racing. He was so close to just blurting out that he had wanted Laxus to touch him like that, and he wanted more of it, he wanted to touch back, he wanted to take him fully in that shower, or have Laxus take him, he didn't even care what they did, he just wanted _more of him_. How could he risk confessing all of that so suddenly, though? Admitting even this much made Laxus look so conflicted. Probably, his whole dynamic with the team, and especially with Freed, was being called into question.

"Should … should I have stopped you?" Freed asked in worry.

He scoffed. "Why the hell are you asking _me_ that?"

"Because you seem upset about it."

"I'm worried about _you_. You're the one who got grabbed."

But he liked it. How could he say it any more bluntly? Freed figured that Laxus truly must be utterly disgusted that it ever happened.

"I _trust_ you, Laxus. Even with something like that." He looked away and blushed. "I mean, you let me _shave you_ yesterday morning. That took a lot of trust. So, while it's not the same, I trust you even with … with doing _that_."

Freed prayed that Laxus did not ask him to leave the team instantly. He wanted so badly to hope that there was some love to this, a deeper meaning, but his heart hesitated, cautious and terrified that it was about to be shattered.

Laxus' throat was too tense to reply. What was Freed talking about? He trusted him … to jerk him off? What sort of insane level of trust was that? Then again, it had been Laxus himself who asked, if his arms were broken, would Freed attend to any sexual needs while he healed. Maybe Freed took that to mean that he trusted Laxus enough to touch him and not mean anything about it. But that wasn't it at all! It _did_ mean something, at least to him. Maybe it meant nothing at all to Freed. It was a challenge in trust … nothing more.

Laxus pressed a fist to his mouth. Freed wondered what was running through his head. He still looked so confused, and he was unusually thoughtful.

"You … aren't mad?" Laxus asked in a brittle voice.

Was he still racked with guilt? "No, Laxus. I'm not mad at you."

"You were okay … with what I did?"

Sheesh, he was slow at getting it! "I would have stopped you by force if I had hated it."

"You wanted it?" Laxus asked, really feeling uncertain about that question. He watched Freed closely. He needed to know, did he want it? Did he really enjoy it? Or was it something—?

"I didn't mind," Freed said in a faint whisper.

That. Shit. It wasn't that he _wanted_ it, but that he simply didn't mind. That crushed Laxus. He had hoped that Freed might actually want him. Instead, he just _tolerated_ him.

Freed felt his chest heat up at confessing even that much. Did he want it? Oh God, yes! He could close his eyes now and remember how it looked, with Laxus' cock right under his, stroking from the bottom, while that huge, rough, powerful hand rubbed both of them together. He still felt the ache in his neck from where Laxus had bitten him, and he reached up to touch it now. He nibbled his lip, worried that he might start to get aroused if he let his mind wander too far, and Laxus would definitely smell it.

How could he actually say aloud, " _Yes, Laxus, I want it, and I want more. I want to rub each other off while kissing and groaning against one another's lips. I want to suck you and taste you pouring into my mouth. I want to feel inside you and hear you moan my name. I want to cuddle you all night and wake up in the morning, to be the first thing you see, the reason you smile although I know you hate mornings, to kiss you when you still taste like stale beer, to make love slowly and sleepily because I know you want any excuse to stay in bed a little longer, and when finally we're spent, to cajole you out of bed and into the shower, where I can wash and kiss every inch of you until you truly wake up and want it again. And then I want to help you pick out something less-garish to wear, to have you brush out my hair and actually style it because you know I don't like braiding my hair, and then you make the coffee extra strong the way you like it, and I make breakfast with toast lightly browned the way I like it, and listen to you complain that you like your toast dark, while I tease that you like coffee strong enough to rouse the dead. I want it, Laxus. I want it all. I want the honor of being the man who can fulfill all your needs, and I want you as the man who would do his damnedest to fulfill all my selfish little desires. I just want you. Always._ "

There was no way he could confess all that.

Laxus looked like he was thinking over something new now, but at least he no longer looked disgusted. In that moment, Freed just wanted Laxus to stop hating himself, stop blaming himself. He was curious still _why_ Laxus did that, but he was not sure if it was appropriate to ask yet. Laxus must have been sick with regret all night. He had stormed off thinking he molested his best friend. He needed time to get over that guilt.

"Fuck, I need a drink," he muttered. Laxus suddenly stood up and walked to the window. He looked out over the boulevard and all the weird-haired people of Avedaville. "Freed."

He jolted at the boldness of his voice. However, Laxus said nothing else for a while. Freed could not even see his face anymore to figure out what he was thinking.

"Two hours. Gimme two hours to think this through."

Ah, that was his problem. Laxus used to be impulsive, but he had learned better. Now, he over-thought a lot of things in his life. He was also slow at piecing ideas together. His teammates knew, sometimes he just needed time to think.

"Are you angry with me?" asked Freed.

Laxus spun around with an astonished sneer. "Why the fuck would I be angry with you?"

Freed dropped his head. ' _Because I all but admitted that I'm attracted to you. You have every right to be angry._ '

"No, Freed. I just need to think, blow off some energy. I ate so much lightning yesterday, it's fucking with my whole body."

Freed wondered if that was the reason for what happened last night. Maybe that was Laxus' version of a power surge or short circuit.

"Truth: you okay?"

Was _he_ okay? Laxus was the one who looked like his whole world just got turned upside down. "I'm fine," Freed assured. "Are you?"

"Hell if I know," he muttered. "Look, if I seriously fucked up, then tell me what to do. I wanna make things better with you."

"You don't have to do anything."

Laxus nodded pensively to himself. "Because you didn't mind," he stated, yet still looked confused by the confession.

Freed blushed and looked away. "R-Right."

He sneaked a glance over to see Laxus looking out the window with a pinched brow. He did not speak for a while, and Freed wondered about that severe face. Laxus must still think the whole thing was a terrible mistake, that he _fucked up_. Maybe he was mad that Freed had simply given in like some sort of slut who let any man touch him. Maybe that stern expression was Laxus being angry with him. Or disappointed. Or repulsed. Or…

"I've gotta get out of here and think," Laxus grumbled.

Freed bit his lip. Just how badly had he screwed up by taking pleasure in some meaningless _power surge_? "Laxus—"

"Later," he cut in sharply, and Freed snapped his mouth closed. Dammit, he really _must_ be mad at him. It made Freed's eyes burn. Laxus sighed and turned away from the window, shoving his shock of hair out of his face. "I'll be at the dojo. Two hours, then we'll meet up again."

"Where?"

"Here. We shouldn't discuss something like that in public."

"Right," he muttered. "I'll … go shopping … or something. Maybe help Bickslow."

The door burst open. "No need to help."

Laxus glared. "You were standing out there long enough."

The intrusion startled Freed, and he momentarily wondered how much Bickslow had overheard, yet he realized Laxus would not have said anything private if he knew that someone was there. He would have smelled Bickslow coming. Maybe that was why he was at the window, to watch and see when their conversation needed to stop, and that was why he had cut Freed off so abruptly. Bickslow must have already been outside the door.

"Good news: I got tickets," Bickslow said, holding four tickets aloft. "Bad news…"

Freed snatched a ticket out of his hand. "This is for the day after tomorrow."

Bickslow shrugged. "Can't be helped. Trains are the only thing running now, so they're all booked up."

Laxus strode past them both. "I'll tell the innkeeper we'll be here two more nights." With that, he left.

Bickslow watched him go with a frown. "What's got him cranky, besides hair that would make a fairy princess jealous?"

Freed took two tickets with him to stash them away safely. "His hair annoys him. He'll probably go out and chop it off with his lightning again."

"Are you busy?"

Freed looked around in curiosity. "Not really. Why?"

"We're here for a while. I thought we could try to cheer up Evergreen with a card game. Someone needs to get her to feel better. She's locked herself away since yesterday."

Laxus had said they should give each other two hours. That was enough time for a few games of poker.

"Gaming it is, then!" he decided. "Let's convince her that she's still wanted."

He needed to focus on helping someone else, because his own life and future were so uncertain at this point.

* * *

A game of strip poker got Evergreen to stop being so worried about her hair and more worried about her body and removing clothes. Freed was pretty certain Bickslow lost on purpose, but seeing Evergreen remove the silk bag from her head rather than her bra was an improvement and showed she was slowly coming to gain control over the magical mind-trap of self-loathing due to her mullet haircut.

After they were done, Freed put back on the clothes he had lost—not too many articles—and went out into town. He wanted to buy a few things before meeting Laxus. The poor man had been hit with quite a shock, finding out his best friend actually _liked_ getting a hand job from him.

His cheeks turned pink just thinking about that. Laxus had touched him like that, and although he had apologized and felt guilty, never did he say, _I'll never do it again_. Freed could remain a little hopeful, although he knew it was highly unlikely that anything more would ever happen. Laxus had been overly charged up with the storm, resulting in surging hormones, and for some reason he had needed to claim someone. It was a fluke, Freed could accept that it would never happen again, and most importantly, he wanted Laxus to feel at ease again. No more guilt and anguish. He wanted his friend back to normal.

Freed returned to the hotel after two hours, but Laxus was not there yet. Dread began to set into his stomach. How was Laxus going to take the news that his gay teammate liked him? Freed just hoped they could come to some understanding. Maybe they could rearrange the showering order. He had place himself after Laxus so he could gaze upon him. What a perverted reason! He could start fixing thing with that. He should probably stop attending to Laxus in the bathhouses. That would no longer be appropriate. Maybe also stop staying the night at his place. So much he had been doing because he privately took pleasure in seeing Laxus, but now he needed to stop. It was unhealthy to obsess over him so much.

He hated the idea of changing things in his life.

Finally the door opened and Laxus stepped in. He had zapped his hair off again, and the blond strands hung in a choppy mess a little above his shoulders. Freed held still, waiting with dread for whatever judgment was coming.

"Sorry I'm late. I had to go somewhere for a moment." He sat down across from Freed and leaned over onto his knees, slumping with his hands folded and flexing, trying to relax himself. "I've been thinking. I think I get it."

Freed gulped hard. Did he truly understand?

"Still, what I did was wrong. Even if you liked it, I didn't ask for your permission before doing it. I need to make it up to you. I can't do that with words; I'm no good with words. So I looked around town and found a restaurant that serves one of those fancy-ass dishes you really like."

"Uh … dinner?"

"Yeah, my treat. My way of saying I'm sorry and I want you to keep trusting me."

Freed began to blush. This was like a date.

"If, y'know, ya don't want to be around me, just say and I'll—"

"No! No, that … I … I guess that's your way of apologizing."

"Somethin' like that," Laxus mumbled.

"That's … thoughtful. It's also a little like what was on my mind. I felt like I needed to make amends for … for everything."

"You didn't do anything, Freed."

"Yes, I did."

"What?"

He did not want to tell Laxus, he was the one who had taken pleasure in the whole experience. He was the one who moaned so loudly, wanting it, indulging in it, not thinking that Laxus might regret it later. All he wanted was that sensual experience. And he wanted more! That was what made him feel so guilty. Laxus was horrified at what he did, but Freed had to hold himself back from begging for more.

"Anyway!" he said, and Freed pulled out two fancy bags with colored ribbons. "For you."

"Presents?" Laxus opened the first bag, but he could already tell it was a bottle. He lifted it up with an instant grin. "Daaaamn! Is this thirty-year-old scotch?"

"I know you like that type. Also, this." He shoved forth the other bag. "Cigars. I know you haven't smoked in a while, but I saw they had your favorite type, so … a little splurge."

Laxus pulled out the cigar box. "This is the good Bosco leaf. How the hell did a town like this have this sorta shit?"

"I asked around and found the right people."

Leave it to Freed to hunt out high-quality goods in some tiny town that was barely on the map.

"Well, I still don't know what _you_ did wrong, but whatever it is," Laxus lifted up the bottle and looked at the label, "this makes up for it."

Freed sighed in relief. He still wanted to know what happened. Why had Laxus grabbed him like that? Since they were supposed to be talking about last night, he supposed he should ask now. He opened his mouth, but he saw Laxus sniffing one of the cigars. He looked so happy right in that moment. Freed worried that if he asked and probed deeper, he might disrupt this delicate truce they now had. His mouth closed again, and he shut his eyes. It was just some mistake, some _power surge_ with no deeper meaning. He had to shove his desires aside if he wanted to keep Laxus as a friend.

Laxus set the cigar down and stared at the scotch whiskey bottle. Freed must have really put effort into finding these. He, however, still felt guilty.

' _I fucking molested him. Why is he apologizing? At least it doesn't seem like he minds, but … would he want more? Can we do it again? Shit, I can't ask! Knowing him, he would agree to touch me, fuck me, anything I want, but only because he trusts me as a friend. He said he didn't mind, but he seemed damned determined never to say he wanted it. I kept asking and asking, and he never answered that it was something he wanted, just that he didn't mind. Which means he didn't want it, right? He only tolerated it, because he trusts me to keep it as something between friends. Fuck. I guess that's where we stand now. I have to accept that. He didn't mind, because he trusts me, and we're just friends. I mean, that's good, I'm glad he's okay, but still … fuck!_ '

"You wanna do anything?" he blurted out. "Hang out somewhere until dinner?" Laxus knew he needed to get his mind off things. Anything was better than simmering in depression.

"Like what?"

"I saw a pachinko parlor. We could play a bit, maybe see if they have a cinema here, catch a movie." He tapped a nail to the bottle. "We'll enjoy this later … together."

Together! That brightened Freed's heart instantly. More and more, this was sounding like a date, but Freed banished the thought.

"Sounds like fun."

His reply made Laxus grin, which soothed Freed's heart. At least they could still be friends.

Even if both of them secretly wished they could be more.


	7. Spoiling Each Other

They played pachinko and a game of gō, Freed with his crew cut and Laxus with his hair pulled back by Freed into a pony tail that hung to his shoulders and kept getting longer as the day went by. Unfortunately, there was no cinema around. They walked together through the small town, but many of the shops were closed with the hair curse affecting all the villagers.

"Hey, ya hungry?" Laxus asked instead.

"A little. By the time we walk to the restaurant, I probably will be."

"Then come on."

The restaurant Laxus had reserved was probably the most high-class in this provincial town. What had caught Laxus' eyes was a certain dish. This town specialized in fried chicken, but this restaurant also served a _coq au vin_ that Freed had loved as a child.

They sat in a nearly-empty restaurant, just the two of them, a bottle of wine, and music from a violinist whose poor hair had been shaped into a massive music note, yet he still played with a look of peace on his face, as if he could only handle his hair catastrophe by losing himself in music.

"This is really good," Freed mentioned. "It's pretty amazing, these small town restaurants. They often have some of the best food."

Laxus loved simply gazing at him. He was so elegant, so refined, it was a pleasure just watching him sip his glass. Everything about him put Laxus at ease and warmed his heart.

"Are you enjoying it?"

Freed swallowed his wine and nodded. "Mm! Thanks."

If it had been any other time, with any other man, Freed would have thought that this was immensely romantic. Now, considering it was Laxus who took him there, and especially after the awkwardness of last night, he truly had no idea what to make of it all. His heart wanted to think of this as a date, but his mind knew that was wishful thinking. Laxus was straight. How many women had he randomly slept with on missions? Hell, he might end up in the bed of some town girl later tonight. Freed knew he had to accept this, no matter how much it hurt. Last night was nothing more than a…

What? Mistake? Fluke? A one-time-thing? Laxus had never called it any of that.

Freed still didn't know what to think of it.

Laxus sighed, set down his fork, and looked out the window at the lake that sprawled outside the restaurant. It really was a romantic setting. He just wished this could have been a real date. Maybe that had been on his mind when he booked the reservations. He would come back, clarify everything, Freed would shout out that he had wanted to be touched, he liked it, he wanted more, and … well, after that, his mind had taken some stupid turn toward them hugging and confessing in sappy words. God, he _never_ should have let Mira read that romance book to him years ago. He had thought at the time that if he let her, she might _put out_. She was prim and proper, though, and he had been a big jackass back then. Now ideas from that mushy book floated through his mind, and it made his heart ache even more.

He caught sight of movement and glanced over as Freed lifted the wineglass to his lips. Freed was so refine, it made Laxus feel almost intimidated. He wanted him, and he was scared of him. He was such a gentleman, far too good for a man like him, and yet that made Laxus instinctively want to spoil Freed.

The long lashes raised, and turquoise eyes met his, shining in candlelight, his cheeks pink from wine. Laxus almost choked on his food. Shit, he was sexy! Just that, just one damn look, and Laxus felt his face growing warmer. He looked away sharply, wishing his heart would slow down.

Freed wondered what was wrong. Laxus had stopped eating, but what was weirder, he was hardly drinking. Yet his cheeks were definitely flushed. Could he be blushing?

He wanted to hope … but no. Maybe he was just recalling last night. It was erotic enough to make anyone blush. Yet he also had his lower lip jutted out, the same stubborn expression he gave whenever Makarov or Mira scolded him over something. Was he scolding himself still?

"Laxus?" Freed saw him bristle at his voice. All he wanted was for him to relax and enjoy this outing. "What's the matter now?"

Laxus looked over again, and slowly he loosened up. Freed smiled reassuringly, but that made Laxus blush even more. He tried to hide it by taking a long drink from his wineglass, but Freed wondered … could there actually be more to it?

"Can we talk?" Laxus finally asked, his voice deep and low.

Freed swallowed hard. He knew they would sort this out eventually, but … here? In public?

"I need to confess something."

Freed completely stopped breathing. Confess? This could either be very good or very, _very_ bad.

"It's eating me up inside, so I need to be honest." Laxus looked back out at the lake, trying to calm himself, plus he could not bear to see Freed's face for this next part. "What happened last night … wasn't an accident. It wasn't some insane impulse. It was something I've been wanting to do. I just did it. I didn't even think twice. And I'm sorry."

Freed tried to gulp, but his throat had tensed up, along with everything else in his body. He … wanted … to? _What?_

"Dammit, there's no easy way to say this." He tapped his fingers on the table in anxiousness. Laxus knew he was a blunt man, but this was one of those moments where he wanted to say things right. "Freed, I've known you for a long time now. I've come to trust you more than anyone in my entire life, and what's shocking is how much you trust me. I … like having you close to me, because I trust you to have my back. For years, it was just an admiration of your strength. I know better than anyone, you're insanely powerful. Your magic is plain terrifying. Now, though … now, it's more, and it's become inappropriate."

Freed dropped his gaze. It was honestly a real love confession. Laxus was actually _attracted_ to him. His brain was screaming that this couldn't be real, this was a dream, yet his heart was already fluttering. He wanted to shout out that he felt the same way, but his tongue forgot how to work. He kept gulping, wanting to speak clearly, yet his lower jaw shivered with how tense it was just to keep from screaming.

"I shouldn't have let that admiration turn into what it did last night," Laxus went on. "Even if you _don't mind_ , even if you _trust me_ , it meant a lot more to me than just…" Dammit, how could he phrase this in public? He carefully chose his words: "It's something … I shouldn't do … unless it's mutual. Otherwise, it's unfair to you. And last night wasn't mutual at all. It was just me being greedy. Even if you _didn't mind_ , you still didn't _want_ it."

"Wh-what?" he gasped. How did he come to that conclusion? He had _told_ Laxus…

No, wait. Laxus was right. Twice, he had asked if Freed wanted it, and Freed had been so nervous, he answered with vague words. Laxus must have been seeking out direct confirmation, and Freed had sidestepped out of fear.

It was time to be reckless for once.

Freed blurted out, "I have a confession, too."

Laxus froze. ' _No way. No fucking way!_ '

"I didn't mind and didn't stop you because … b-because it was something that I _wanted_ you to do." He laughed softly. Was that seriously all he had to say? Had Laxus just wanted to hear that? "I don't know how long it's lasted, but I've had a crush on you for some time now. I kept trying to ignore it, forget it, I felt there was no way to tell you. You're straight. Or, I thought you were."

"Wait. So, you feel the same way I do?" asked Laxus.

"Apparently, yes." Freed laughed again.

"And last night?"

"I'm sorry I wasn't clear enough. I didn't mind because it was something I wanted to do with you. I liked it." He muttered bashfully, "I wouldn't mind doing it again."

"God, we're idiots," Laxus muttered.

Freed chuckled awkwardly. "We respect each other so much, we both felt that we couldn't say anything about it."

"And it's a weird thing to say."

"It humiliating," Freed agreed, knowing his blushing must be up to his ears, just like how Laxus looked.

There was a moment of relief between them, laughs, shaking their heads, and coy glances. What they felt truly was mutual, and that was too amazing for words.

"Laxus?" Freed fortified his resolved. "Would you want to continue from last night?"

Again, Laxus looked confused. "Do you mean shower sex again? Sure, if you wanna. It was awesome."

Freed laughed and wished he had long hair again so he could hide half his face with it. How blunt could Laxus be! "No, not … well, I wouldn't mind … uh, ahem! What I'm saying is, do you want to go out with me? Together? Could … could we…?"

"Yes," Laxus answered right away. "Yeah, I … I want that."

Freed sighed and let the nervousness sink out. That was a lot harder than he ever imagined.

"Freed?"

He tensed right back up again. However, Laxus had a smile.

"Thank you."

God, what a smile! The way his blue eyes shined really did make Freed melt. "Thank _you_ for saying yes. Otherwise, this evening would have gotten very awkward."

Laxus picked up his wineglass, Freed lifted his as well, and they tapped glasses together in a cheers.

"To love," said Freed.

"To honesty, from here on out."

Yes, for how much they trusted one another, they had not been honest in a long time. It felt good to get that secret off his chest. He knew Laxus would have accepted any of his emotions, but to have them returned … Freed could not remember when he last felt so happy.

* * *

They left the restaurant and returned to the hotel to grab the cigars, whiskey bottle, two glasses, and a blanket. The sun had set and the sky was getting dark as they trekked out to a hill with soft grass and flowers all around. Freed spread out the blanket, and Laxus poured the whiskey for both of them. Freed was not normally one for such strong liquor, but he could indulge for Laxus' sake.

Laxus held up his glass. "To honesty."

Freed lifted his and clinked them together. "To hopefulness."

Oh? Laxus liked the implication in that. They both took a sip. Laxus felt the liquor ease out the tension he had been feeling all day, but Freed instantly cringed up with the bite of the alcohol. Laxus had to laugh at that.

"Good shit, huh?" Laxus said in amusement.

Freed coughed at how strong it was. "Well, I'm glad _you_ like it."

"I do. Goes well with the cigar." He lit up the stogie and took a puff. "You don't mind, do you?"

"Not that type. This one actually smells nice."

"Cheap cigars smell like shit."

Freed took another tiny sip and watched Laxus, glass in his hand, cigar in his mouth, a sight he saw so often, and yet now it was different. The moonlight really lit him up, and the smells were things Freed strongly associated with him. It made his feel relaxed, protected, and warm.

"Stars look good after a storm," Laxus muttered.

Freed turned his gaze and saw the heavens with all of their lights. He knew most of the constellations and began to pick them out. Freed took another sip of the whiskey and cringed up a little yet again. At least it was beginning to relax him. He leaned back on the blanket to continue looking up at the stars.

Laxus poured another glass of whiskey and sat up until his cigar was low enough to crush out. He wanted to lie down with Freed, but he felt weird and nervous to do that now.

After a moment he said, "About the shower…"

"Again?" Freed asked. He really was obsessed with this.

"I know you wanted it, but I'm still sorry I did it without even asking."

Freed chuckled and gazed at him. "Then just ask next time. I'll say yes, you know."

Hearing Freed say that was a comfort. Laxus really had dreaded the idea that he molested Freed. Knowing that he wanted it, enjoyed it, and even wanted more, turned last night from a nightmare of selfish passion into a great memory Laxus would cherish.

His hand began to reach out, but he stopped. He was far too worried about doing something Freed would not like, so he decided to ask. "Can I touch your hair?"

Freed laughed at his timid side. "Always."

Laxus stroked the short, green strands. He missed Freed's long hair. How he would have loved to tangle his fingers into that! But this was also nice. He saw the hickey on Freed's neck. He had been avoiding looking there, feeling disgusted at himself, but now that mark made him proud. This man was _his_! He found himself leaning over, resting on an elbow, gazing down at Freed as he felt the softness of his hair and gazed into his eyes. Freed also reached up, but he was feeling Laxus' face and neck. Laxus loved the softness of his touch. How he would love to have those hands in _other_ places!

Then he felt a slight tug. He looked down, and Freed was staring at his lips, faintly pulling on his neck, urging him to come closer. Laxus leaned over, slowly and filled with hesitation, until finally his lips met Freed's.

Their first kiss!

Freed shivered as he felt the gentle power of Laxus' lips. He was being cautious, but Freed could tell, Laxus could probably kiss him roughly … and the idea thrilled him. For now, the nervous kiss was perfect. Laxus was not simply indulging; he was savoring it. The kiss was slow, soft, a little timid, not at all how he imagined Laxus' kisses would be, and yet it was sweet to feel that side of him.

Then blond hair flopped forward and smothered Freed. Laxus leaned up, muttering profanities as he tried to get his cursed long hair out of the way. Frustrated that their kiss was ruined by such an annoying thing, Laxus collapsed back onto the blanket to stare up at the stars.

"That was nice," he said, and he instantly cringed that it was such a stupid thing to say.

"Very nice," Freed said in amusement. "You're a good kisser." He looked over to watch Laxus' face turn bright red. What an adorable reaction!

"Yeah, well … you're damn good, too," Laxus said. ' _How the hell do you flirt?_ '

Freed rolled over to look at him better. "Want more?"

Laxus turned his head, looking stunned by how forward Freed was being. Not waiting for a verbal reply, Freed leaned in closer, combing his fingers through the long, golden hair, and he kissed Laxus a little stronger than before. He could smell the cigar, the whiskey, Laxus himself, and he wanted more. He lightly licked Laxus' lips, and they didn't merely part. Laxus grabbed the back of his head and yanked him to dive in. Their tongues met and Freed heard a moan that drove him crazy. He pushed himself up and trapped Laxus between his arms.

Laxus opened his eyes for a moment to see Freed above him and the stars as a glorious background. Damn, this was what he wanted! He clutched at Freed's shoulders, pulling him closer, wanting to feel everything about him. To his surprise, he felt one of Freed's legs swing over, straddling him, and the kisses went from sensual to carnal.

Freed bit his lip, and Laxus hissed. Fuck, that was good! Laxus kissed him back rougher, and his fingers clawed into him. He felt Freed's groin snap against him for a moment before jolting up, obviously stunned at doing that, but Laxus had liked it. He grabbed Freed's hips and pulled them back down. Freed slid along him, but he was careful not to do any wild rutting. He kept the crazier stuff to his lips and tongue.

Then suddenly Freed pulled back. He looked astonished, and Laxus gazed at him in confusion.

"Sorry. I'm just taking over like that. You probably don't want—" He began to climb off.

"No." Laxus grabbed Freed to put him right back on top. "This … this is what I want. Like this. Looking up at you. It … feels right."

Freed was astonished, but he thought he knew what Laxus was awkwardly hinting at. He wanted to be the receiver. Considering Laxus slept with so many women, Freed had always imagined that, if he ever wanted to _experiment,_ Laxus would want to top.

"Well, if this is what's comfortable for you," he said, and he leaned down to kiss him again, letting his lips flutter over Laxus' mouth, "I aim to serve and please you."

Oooh shit. Laxus felt himself completely harden up at those words. Freed smirked as he felt the reaction, and he slid his body against the arousal.

God, he wanted it!

Just then, they heard a dog barking and a voice calling out to the pet. Freed twirled off with the grace of a dancer, and he sat up stiffly on the blanket. Laxus ached to be so turned on yet stopped just as it was getting good; however, he sat up as well, tugging at the restriction of his tight jeans.

"I gotta warn you of something," Laxus said, and Freed looked instantly worried. "I've never dated a man, so I'm not sure how fast to take things."

"Was that too much?" Freed asked in dread.

"Hell no! I was two seconds away from lowering my zipper and pulling it out. If that's too much, if anything is too fast, you gotta let me know."

Freed didn't want to tell him that he had already been reaching down to lower both of their zippers. Maybe Laxus was saying that he did not want to go that fast. As much as they both obviously wanted it, Laxus was nervous. This was a first for him, and he wanted to know it was not just about sex. Freed liked that idea. He enjoyed knowing he had to earn pleasure by catering to his lover.

And he really wanted to spoil and cater to Laxus. His smile alone had been reward enough through all these years. A night of making love would be far better.

"This is a perfect pace," Freed said. "If anything I do is too fast, let me know. I'm a patient man; I'll wait until you're ready."

"Fuck, I'm ready now," Laxus groaned, looking uncomfortable with his neglected arousal, "but I don't wanna screw this up. Plus I like all the dating shit. I don't get to do that usually."

"So, do you prefer holding hands, dates, and kissing?"

"Well, I mean, we can fuck," he said bluntly. "I just wanna date as well, and this is a date."

"It is?"

Laxus choked up a little. "Well, that is, if ya wanna make it one."

Freed wrapped his arm around Laxus' waist and leaned into him. "It's a perfect date."

They cuddled on the hill until a storm began to roll in and obscured the stars. The moon hid behind darkening clouds, and a distant roll of thunder made the village dogs bark.

"I guess we should get in before it rains," Laxus muttered.

"Do you want another snack?" Freed asked as they got off the blanket.

"Nah. If I eat more lightning, I'm not sure where things might go tonight."

Freed smirked to himself. "Maybe that's why I'm recommending it."

Laxus glanced lasciviously at him. "I don't need lightning to want you, Freed. I just don't wanna fuck things up, and I really thought I had last night. Hell knows what I'd do now that I know you like it. Plus, I wanna make this a good date, and that doesn't mean running off into the storm. I'm sticking by you tonight."

"A good date, eh?" Freed folded the blanket while Laxus took the half-empty bottle and cigar box. Then Freed gallantly offered his elbow. "Shall we, then, sir?"

Laxus laughed and muttered, "You're a nerd." However, he wrapped his arm around Freed's elbow. They returned to the hotel, side by side, arm in arm.

Already inside the hotel, Bickslow and Evergreen were waiting at a window. They gawked as they saw the two with arms linked and gazes of endearment at one another. Evergreen with her mullet turned to Bickslow with his massive afro, and both were stunned that _finally_ it had happened. They gave one another a fist bump in congratulations.

About … damn … time!


	8. Flashes in the Dark

His lips felt swollen, bruised, abandoned as the mouth that had wrecked them now nipped and sucked along his throat. His shoulders were scratched up, and he just hoped the fingernails had not actually torn his clothing. He felt turned on—oh so badly turned on—but all he got was a light ghosting of touches, fingers that wanted to know he was aroused but not actually touch there. They weren't even teasing touches, but more like seeking reassurance that he was doing things right.

To Laxus, Freed was _definitely_ doing things right!

When they first arrived at the hotel, they had been greeted by both Bickslow and Evergreen. It was the first time Evergreen had left her room since the hair curse, and it was for _this_ , to see for themselves that Laxus and Freed were together and to deluge them with questions.

Laxus felt humiliated just admitting that they were now dating, so Freed took over answering only some of the least-personal questions. Then he primly said that they were probably bothering the other guests and should go back to their rooms. They could talk more over breakfast. Bickslow boldly asked if they were going to fuck, and Freed physically shoved him back to his room with a rune to lock the door until sunrise.

Were they going to do it? Laxus thought, or maybe hoped, that they would. After half an hour of making out with seemingly no eagerness for more, now he was not so certain. He had decided to wait for Freed to give a signal that tonight was heading that way, but again, they were only light, passing touches to his groin, enough to feel that he was hard, not enough to really give him pleasure.

Not that he was complaining! Making out on the couch was definitely a delight. Still, Laxus had always been the sort of man who skipped all foreplay and leap straight into the main action. Being indulged like this was not really his style, and he was unsure how to respond. He had said he wanted simple dating, although he had said he also wanted sex. He thought that was enough hint that he really, _really_ wanted sex tonight, but he also did not want to push Freed too fast. Hell knows he thought he had screwed up once already!

If Freed wanted to wait, Laxus was fine with that, although his cock seriously was swollen and he would have to release that pressure one way or another tonight. _Finally_ , he could hold Freed in the way he always wanted, and yet his body wanted so much more. He could not get enough of this man!

Freed gazed down at Laxus and saw him looking flustered. He had hinted, he wanted Freed _on top_ , but Freed got the sense that Laxus had no idea how to submit to pleasure.

"Wanna switch?" Freed made them move so that he was now lying on the couch with Laxus' weight on him. Still, Laxus looked like he was lost, like he was unsure what to do next. Had he seriously never made out before?

"What do you want me to do?" he grumbled, trying to sound gruff but still coming across as nervous.

Freed smirked. Ah, did he want to be ordered? Freed could have fun with that. He flicked open the first few buttons of his shirt and pulled it aside.

"Go with your instincts."

"My instincts are to fuck your mouth."

Freed licked ravenously. "I wouldn't mind that."

"Shit," Laxus hissed. How could a man look so goddamn fuckably hot? His instincts really did kick in just then, and he attacked the exposed skin.

Freed felt a sharp pain in the side of his neck and cried out so loudly, he just _knew_ Evergreen and Bickslow heard him. Dammit, was Laxus trying to give a hickey or gnaw out his jugular?

Laxus leaned back and gazed at the mark. Maybe he was too rough. Freed's throat was turning bright red, and that shout had sounded more like pain and less like pleasure. He had to tame himself back or he really would hurt him.

"Sorry. I don't normally leave hickeys."

"You don't?" Freed asked, rubbing out his neck. Damn, it really did hurt! "I figured that's your favorite thing to do."

Laxus shook his head. "Most of the chicks I've had weren't mine to mark. You are, and I want the world to know you're mine."

That sounded so erotic, and yet so endearing. "How about you mark other places?" Freed continued to unbutton his shirt, letting his chest show. "My whole body is yours to claim."

There was a starving blaze in those blue eyes that Freed found amusing as he continued to undo the buttons, all the way down. Then he tugged the shirt out from his trousers and shimmied it off, letting it fall to the side of the couch.

Laxus gazed at Freed's porcelain skin, hairless chest, and firm abs. He lunged toward his stomach and licked from just above the belly button all the way up his stomach, chest, throat, and over his chin to his mouth, ending it with a kiss. Freed moaned, his body trembled under the hot tongue, and his eyes were huge with desire that Laxus could smell. His lithe fingers went up to Laxus' shirt and gave it a coy tug. That was all Laxus needed in order to know what to do next. The shirt went flying, landing somewhere near the hotel's small table, and his mouth went back down.

"Ow! Careful with the biting," Freed warned.

Laxus did not really listen. He had admired Freed's perfect body for years, and now he wanted to _possess_ every inch of it. What he couldn't nip between his teeth, he licked, and when he found a spot that made Freed quiver, he marked it, like mapping out newly conquered territory.

"Sheesh, you're rough," gasped Freed.

Laxus pulled back and realized he had left tiny bruises all over Freed's torso. "Sorry," he muttered, wiping the moistness from his mouth.

"No, I like it."

Freed sat up, and Laxus moved back, taking a seat on the couch while trying to calm himself before he really hurt Freed. Then, without warning, Freed straddled him, his weight resting on Laxus' thighs. The Dragon Slayer felt stunned looking up at him. Freed's finger traced down over Laxus' Adam's apple, lightly scratching him.

"Is it okay if I'm a little rough as well?"

' _Oh fuck, that's hot!'_

Laxus' throat was so tense, he only managed to nod. Freed had already showed he liked to scratch, so what more did he like? Laxus really wanted to know all the little kinks in this seemingly prim and proper man.

The sly smile and devilish twinkle in Freed's eyes made Laxus' groin hurt, and it didn't help that Freed was undulating over him, rubbing right over his arousal.

Freed's hands only gently rubbed over Laxus' chest. "I almost don't trust myself," he confessed, dropping his head. "I could manipulate your emotions, torture your body in the most sinful way, and drive you to insanity before sunrise."

"Sounds good to me."

Freed laughed awkwardly. "No, I mean that literally."

"Why? Have you done that before?"

When Freed looked up, there was a darkness in his eyes. "Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to."

"I wanna know. Have ya ever fuck a guy into insanity?"

Freed hesitated with a cold expression before answering simply, "Yes."

Laxus nodded. "I almost wanna know what that's like."

"I'm serious. He never recovered."

"I believe ya. How about you only bring me to the brink of insanity, not past it?"

Freed gulped hard and thought about it. "Not here," he decided. "Although I could write some runes to soundproof this place, I'm not sure I could guarantee the structural integrity of the bed … or the floor."

"Fuck," Laxus growled, really wanting to know more now.

"For tonight, I'll pleasure you enough to leave you hungering for more."

Those words were vocal eroticism. With snakelike grace, Freed slithered between Laxus thighs and knelt before him, gazing up with those eyes that bordered between regal and sadistic. He reached to the top of Laxus' zipper and paused.

"May I?"

"Fuck yes!" Laxus groaned, afraid that if he moved, this incredible dream would end and he'd wake up cold and alone in bed.

Freed slid the zipper down and reached in, stroking through Laxus' underwear and watching the way this huge man tried so hard to hold back his voice. Freed found he liked watching the struggle. He loosened the belt, flicked open the button, and peeled the jeans apart. The cock inside was ready to tear out of the underwear, making the cloth stretch tight. When Freed lowered the underwear, it sprang up, flushed with veins lining the shaft. He could hardly help but lick his lips.

Just last night, he had seen this cock aroused, and so many naughty thoughts went through his mind. Now here they were, no stalling, no lying to themselves and to each other. Freed could hardly believe the dynamics between them had changed so much in just twenty-four hours. It was almost like a fairy had granted his wish, or maybe he was dreaming.

Damn, he hoped this wasn't yet another wet dream!

Freed slightly fear this was a dream, and it would shift to show some other person's face. That had happened when they were working for Blue Pegasus, an intensely erotic dream, so realistic, only in the middle of it he had looked up and saw Ichiya's face. It made him wake up screaming.

"Man!"

Man? _Mehn?_ Freed startled in a moment of horror, looked up, and sighed in relief when he saw it was still Laxus. He had a hand over his eyes, seemingly also amazed that this was really happening.

"Man, I can't even look at ya. I feel like I'll come from seeing you like that. I mean, just last night…" His voice trailed off.

"I was thinking the same thing," Freed admitted, admiring the cock up close. "Last night, I wanted you so badly, I couldn't think straight. Now, I can't decide what I want to do first. Do I taste you?" He licked up the shaft, and a strangled cry squelched in Laxus' throat. "Or do I return the favor?"

When Freed stood up, his pants went down. He had undone them whilst admiring. Part of him really needed to make sure this was real, and that meant feeling the same as last night. He startled Laxus by climbing back onto his lap, and Freed rubbed his cock up against Laxus', feeling the heat.

"Do I give you the same pleasure?" he whispered, reaching down to stroke them together. "No shower, face to face this time, so I can watch you enjoy it."

"Fuck, Freed," he panted.

"You were quite the aggressor last night, and I let you be, but now … now?" he wondered, as if he really had to think about it. "Should I thank you for that, or should I punish you?"

Laxus lost the air in his lungs. He knew that, at least with Freed, he wanted to bottom; he wanted that distinction between the girls he fucked just to blow off steam and the man he had admired for years. He wanted Freed to take control of things, knowing he was an expert at calculating the best results, but he never thought he would want Freed to be this intensely dominant. Laxus didn't think he would like dynamics like that, yet hearing Freed's voice slithering with sin, Laxus felt like succumbing to the dark side.

"Maybe I should deny you." Freed stood up and backed away.

"Shit, no!" Laxus cried out. He couldn't be serious!

Freed leaned over and placed a finger on Laxus' lips, silencing him. "I'll give you what you want," he promised. "You have to ask for it, though."

"Suck my cock," he blurted out desperately.

Freed looked displeased. "You have absolutely no restraint. Perhaps I should make you beg."

This time, it was Laxus who looked peeved. "Ya want my cock to go limp? Because that's how you get me out of a good mood. Look, I like you being dominant, I like you being sadistic, I might not even mind bondage if you're into that, but humiliation kills it for me."

"Noted," he said, making that one of his rules: no humiliation during sex. "I'll keep it simple tonight." He gave Laxus a brief kiss. "I wouldn't want to spoil you right away. There's plenty of time for that."

Plenty of time! Laxus liked the sound of that. They were dating, they had time to get into crazy kinks that pushed their limits, but for just the first night, he wanted to know that Freed really wanted him the same way he wanted this green-haired gentleman.

"Suck me," Laxus requested. "Then I wanna return the favor."

Freed nodded. "Stay on the couch, just like that." Freed stood up, pulled the last of his clothes off, and walked toward the hotel room door. Laxus watched with worry. As sexy as Freed was walking through the room naked, he wondered if he was about to go out for some strange reason. Laxus definitely did _not_ want anyone else to see the sight of Freed naked and aroused.

"Oh, and remove the rest of your clothing. All of it!" Then Freed flicked off the lights.

"I thought you wanted to see me," Laxus said, obediently removing his jeans but a little perturbed by the darkness. Maybe Freed was actually bashful and preferred to have sex with the lights off.

"I'm going to have my face buried in your crotch, so I won't be seeing much anyway, and I find I can focus on the taste better this way." He returned and slid between Laxus' knees again.

"Maybe I wanna watch you," Laxus said gruffly.

"You can smell me, right?"

Laxus growled something without words. Oh, he could smell him, all right! He smelled of sweat and pre-cum and the alcohol they had been drinking earlier, and Laxus hungered for all of it.

"Besides, there's a reason for everything I do," Freed said, more than a little arrogant in his tone.

Right at that moment, the storm outside flashed with lightning, and Laxus saw for a brief moment those turquoise eyes gazing up lovingly and the face so close to his erection. Lightning! Freed looked wild lit up by the storm, and in that brief flash Laxus saw an impish smile. Then it was dark again, and he felt Freed's mouth plunge on him. His tongue was hellish fire, his lips the gates to heaven, and for a moment Laxus was completely lost in the dark. His hands cast about in search of some type of anchoring, but they found only Freed's head.

Laxus cursed to himself that Freed's hair was magicked to be short now, of all times. How he would love to yank on that silky long hair and pull Freed deeper onto him. Instead, he could only press the back of Freed's head, urging him on with whispered profanities as he heard slurping and smelled saliva mixing with pre-cum. Laxus let his head collapse back onto the couch as he surrendered to Freed's mouth with a quivering sigh.

Laxus wanted a little more, but he was almost scared to ask. Just receiving this much was such a blessing, so who was he to demand for more. Still, as hot and wet as Freed's mouth was, Laxus fidgeted with an instinctive need for more.

Was he trying to make him beg? Fuck that! But maybe Freed simply did not know Laxus required more than this. They had to learn together what each one liked and needed.

"Your hand," he whispered, worried if requesting more was forbidden.

Luckily, Freed seemed happy to oblige, and his long fingers wrapped around the base of the erection. Laxus lost the air in his lungs, and he knew right then, he was not going to last long at all. Damn him, but Freed was too good.

Out the window, lightning flashed in intervals and the thunder rolled between the sounds of sucking and panting. At each flash, Laxus watched as Freed sucked and stroked, followed by darkness and being reduced just to feel, hear, and smell it all. Nature itself was a tease that night.

Then, it was just an accident, an instinct, but Laxus grabbed the back of Freed's head and forced him down deeper. There was a groan of discomfort, but not displeasure.

"Sorry," Laxus whispered in the dark. Just then, another flash of lightning lit up eyes practically glowing in annoyance. Shit! Was he mad?

Rather than pulling back to chastise him, Freed angled himself up a little more, and Laxus felt him plunging down, felt his cock press into a narrow throat, and he let out a roar: reverberating, thunderous, indecent, desperate. Freed continued, plunging in deep, punishing Laxus in a way he had not expected: by ending it.

"Shit!" Laxus howled as he burst. He had not even thought about giving a warning, he was so overwhelmed. He was still deep in Freed's throat, too, but then he felt the tightness pull back, and the spurts were on Freed's tongue now. It was soft, but he heard a purring hum as Freed tasted him.

Freed slowly pulled back, sucking him clean, and gazed up as Laxus recovered.

"Pretty good?" he asked smugly.

"Oh fuck," he moaned.

"I'll take that as a yes." He sounded amused, and Freed rested his head on Laxus' muscular thigh. "Do you remember how you said you wanted a _first_ with me?"

Laxus let out an exhausted groan. "God, don't tell me that was your first blowjob, because that was too fucking good for an amateur."

"Heh, no. But I thought of a first you could do for me."

Laxus looked down in curiosity, barely seeing Freed's face in the darkness.

Freed tapped his fingers on the couch, obviously nervous. "So far, in all my relationships, I've never … umm … there's not really a polite way of saying it," he muttered to himself. "I … was always the one giving pleasure. Up until now, most men wanted me to … to be the bottom for them and … and other things…"

Laxus' mouth dropped. "Freed … no offense, but we don't have lube and—"

"N-No!" he yelped. "Not that. I'm not asking … no! I just mean … _other things_."

Laxus raised an eyebrow. "You're being vague again. Ya know ya gotta be clear with me."

Freed bit his bottom lip, and his fingers tapped the couch even faster, belying how quickly his heart was racing. "S-sucking … m-me," he stuttered anxiously.

Freed said nothing more, and after a moment, Laxus was pretty certain that he meant what he thought he meant.

"You want a blowjob?"

"You don't have to!" he said in a panic.

"I know I don't _have to_ ," Laxus snapped. "The day you say I _have to_ do anything is the day I punch you and walk out the door." His own nervousness was masked by gruffness, a bad habit he knew he had, although Freed was used to such surly attitudes that hid real emotions. "A blowjob, huh? Well, you've given me a hell of one just now. 'S only fair. I doubt I'd be as good as you, since I've never given one."

"Well, I've never had one, so I wouldn't know if you were bad," Freed said with a roguish smile.

"Bitch," Laxus muttered, laughing and blushing at his sassiness. It was one of the things he loved most about Freed: he was one of the few people in the world who could poke fun at him without riling him up in anger, because Laxus knew how much Freed actually adored him. "So really? None of your boyfriends ever offered to blow ya?"

Freed averted his gaze and shook his head. "None of them wanted a cock in their mouth."

"Their loss. I bet ya taste awesome."

Freed choked at how perverted—and how hot—that sounded. "W-well, I'm not pressuring you or anything. Just, if you're ever in the mood, that's one thing I'd like to try."

Laxus reached down, and his hand landed on Freed's head. Turquoise eyes looked up in astonishment, and slowly those thick fingers slid down his cheek to his chin, tipping his head up. Laxus leaned in close enough to see Freed even in the darkness.

"If I'm ever in the mood?" Laxus asked, his voice low and sensual. "You dare say that after telling me you've never been in another man's mouth? Do you have any idea how much I want it now?"

Freed gulped thickly. His heart pounded harder, and he felt his cock stirring with eagerness.

"To be honest," said Laxus, "I've been curious as hell for years."

"Wh-what? Years?"

Laxus hummed. Maybe it wasn't the very first moment he met Freed, or even after they became friends, or the first time he saw him naked, but gradually that little spark of curiosity formed and grew.

"Tell me what to do."

Again with that! Freed wondered if maybe there was a little bit of submissiveness in Laxus after all.

He wanted to test that.

Freed stood up, pulling Laxus to come with him. They walked together, both naked in the dark, and came to a stop in the middle of the hotel room. They stood facing one another, with the flashes of the storm outside the window casting their pale bodies in alternating brightness and shadows.

"On your knees," Freed commanded.

Laxus felt compelled to obey and knelt before Freed like a god. Yes, he might be called the _thunder god_ , but Laxus knew true perfection was right here in this man.

He could smell what was in front of him, and in another flash of lightning, he saw its bald curve. He wanted it, so much. He had fantasized about this, wondering what it might be like. It really was a _first_ for both of them. As much experience as he might have with women, Laxus was intensely curious what it was like to pleasure a man.

Not just any man, though. Only one interested him.

"Is it okay?" Freed asked, stroking Laxus' head in the dark.

"I'd rather have the lights on," he admitted.

"Not this time. If I had to watch you, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't last ten seconds."

Laxus chuckled deeply. "Ya know, I like knowing you want me that much." He began to lean in with his mouth open, when hands grabbed his head and held him in place. Laxus looked up, wondering if Freed was changing his mind.

"Hold still," Freed whispered, and a purple glow lit up from his fingertip. "Dark Écriture: Vision nocturne."

Suddenly, Laxus could see perfectly. He looked up, wondering what Freed had done. Didn't he simply turn on the lights? Then there was a flash, and Laxus was momentarily blinded.

"You have night vision," Freed explained. "Now you can see what you're doing."

"You still don't wanna see me doing it?" he asked in concern.

"It's not that I _don't_ want to. I just want it like this for now."

"Whatever pleases you," Laxus said with a shrug. He stroked Freed and heard a sharp intake of air. "Really a first, huh? Any dude ever at least lick your dick?"

There was a tight-lipped grunt, and Laxus could see Freed shaking his head, his cheeks flushed.

"So then, I get first taste? Lucky me."

Laxus gave the entire length a slow, sensual lick, his tongue sliding from musky underside to veined shaft and up to the flared head, where the dripping pre-cum was a dessert to his taste buds.

"Damn, you taste good," he whispered.

There was a single-syllable groan above him, like Freed was about to curse but the word lost power under the feel of moist heat.

"Don't you dare come on me yet," Laxus warned, giving him another lick. "This is the first time anyone's ever tasted you, so I wanna enjoy it for a good, long time."

"Oh God, don't talk," Freed said with a shiver in his words.

Laxus licked his lips nice and wet before slipping Freed's cock into his mouth. The smell, the taste, the feel of it rubbing against the roof of his mouth, was all more powerful than any dream. Laxus felt Freed's hands rest on his head, and he wondered if he was about to get his hair pulled; however, Freed seemed to realize Laxus might not like to be reminded of his cursed long hair, so his fingers felt stiff as they just rested on the head.

Laxus was amazed at the length of Freed's cock. Maybe it was not some monster, but it was perfect. Slender like the rest of him, curved slightly, and the head was flushed dark. His lips fit around with enough stretch without being painful. He could barely get halfway down before it hit the back of his throat. Laxus was pretty sure he was _not_ ready to attempt deep-throating, not his first time, at least. He slid back and forth as deep as he could easily reach, tasting the bitter saltiness of pre-cum on his tongue.

"Can you … h-hand?"

Laxus reached up, one hand wrapping around Freed's shaft, the other cupping his balls, softly feeling them. A loud exhale shuddered out, and Laxus smiled around the cock, loving the idea that Freed's pleasure was his to control, his to honor, his to evoke.

He glanced up. He still wondered why Freed was so insistent on it being dark, but he was glad he could now see. Freed's eyes were closed, long lashes sweeping over his cheek bones, and his mouth hung open, breathing heavily, an occasional hard swallow, but he held back from moaning, just like he had tried—and failed—to do in the shower.

Laxus almost wanted to make Freed fall apart, force him to moan, break that stubborn propriety, and have him cursing his name in pleasure. He could do all that one day. For now, he would let Freed enjoy this _first_ the way he wanted.

Well … almost.

"You taste amazing," Laxus purred, licking a line up the curved cock. "The smell of you aroused is better than anything. I really love how you feel in my mouth, dripping over my tongue."

Without waiting, he plunged down again, and sure enough, a squelched cry escaped Freed's throat. His fingers also finally pulled, and his hips flexed forward instinctively, before he suddenly yanked fully back and released his hands. Looking up in the dark, Laxus saw Freed leaning over, obviously trying hard not to burst right away. He waited, watching in amusement, and he saw Freed's eyes open, almost enraged except for being intensely aroused.

"No talking," Freed ordered.

"Is that a rule?" he asked arrogantly.

"Yes. Don't talk, not like that."

Laxus grabbed Freed's hips and yanked him back close. "Maybe I don't agree with those rules." He made a shallow bob on just the head. "Maybe I wanna tell you how much I love your taste."

"Shit," Freed hissed, looking almost in pain. "Don't."

Sensitive to dirty talk? Ooh, Laxus could have _fun_ with that! Another time, though.

"As you wish," he muttered, and his mouth returned. This time, Freed sharply thrust in, gagging him right away.

"Ah! S-sorry," Freed whispered, pulling back.

"S'okay," Laxus said, although he did have to cough. "Maybe I like you trying to choke me with your dick."

"Oh God, I said _don't_!" A whimper this time was barely held back by Freed's lips. "Laxus, can I … should I pull out before … you know?"

"Do and I'll whip your ass," Laxus threatened. "You are _not_ denying me of this."

Although this time there was no sound, Laxus saw Freed bite down hard on his lip.

"If it turns out that I don't like it, I'll let you know for next time, but at least this time," he said, licking a circle around the head, and in a low, erotic tone, he said, "I wanna know what my Freed tastes like."

That was apparently too much. Freed grabbed himself and blindly thrust, missing Laxus' mouth completely and smearing pre-cum over cheek. The Dragon Slayer moved his mouth fast to catch it, and Freed's hips were like pistons, until Laxus finally had to grab them to hold them still. He tried to bob his head at the same speed without slamming into the back of his throat. His hand and mouth worked together. Freed was scratching again, digging his fingernails into Laxus' shoulders. The erotic pain made Laxus hum, almost growl, and the vibration snapped Freed's reserve. The first taste flooded over Laxus' tongue.

Okay, it wasn't all that good. It wasn't intolerable, but he might ask to spit next time. Or let Freed come on his face.

' _Oh fuck, now I'm imagining that!_ '

This time, at least, he swallowed. Or at least, he tried. He pulled back sharply and coughed as he realized cum was a thick thing to swallow and did not simply slide down. Freed reached out, feeling blindly for his head.

"Are you okay?" he asked in worry, hearing the coughing. "You didn't have to."

"Fuckin' shut up. I wanted to." He looked back over as Freed had already begun to droop now that the pressure was gone. He licked up a drip on the slit and hummed in appreciation. " _Really_ wanted to." He gave the drooping cock another full suck to clean it off.

"Shit! No! Sensitive. That's enough," Freed warned, thrusting Laxus back and pulling his hips away. Then he chuckled in amazement. "God, you could wreck me."

"Is that an invitation?"

Freed could only laugh in reply, looking lost in the afterglow.

Laxus saw the flush all over Freed's face, mottling down in blotches of pink over his slender chest. "I take it I don't completely suck at sucking."

Freed hummed wearily. "No, you're quite good."

"It'll be better next time. I honestly wasn't sure what I was doing." Freed hummed again, and Laxus saw in the dark a sleepy smile. "Just knowing you gifted me with being your first blowjob is a lot to process."

"I'm sorry if I was demanding."

"Oh, hell no! I want you to be just how you are."

That confirmed it, and Freed smiled to himself. A submissive Laxus was going to be a fun experience.

"Kinky bastard," muttered Laxus. "I see your face. I know what you're thinking."

"Do you really?" he said in a challenge, but he laughed, stroking Laxus' hair. "Now, hold still. I'll put your vision back to normal."

"Wait." Laxus rose off his knees, and although Freed looked up, seeing his vague and shadowy shape, his turquoise eyes did not exactly meet Laxus' face, still blind in the dark. "You still can't see, right?"

"Only shadows," he admitted.

"Then stay like that, and let me be like this for a moment longer. Lie on the bed. I'll be right back."

Laxus guided Freed over to the bed and made sure he was down. They he trotted off to the bathroom … and made the mistake of turning on the light.

"Motherfucker!" he yelled as the light was like looking at the sun. He flipped it off, and it took a while for his nightvision eyes to readjust after being blinded. He turned on the sink, warmed up the water, and moistened a washcloth. Then he returned to Freed and sat beside him.

"I'm gonna wash ya up."

"I could shower."

"Screw that. I wanna do this."

Freed bit his lip, but Laxus saw how his cheeks flushed. Laxus hardly understood it himself. Sure, they could shower together and it would be hot, probably they would even have sex again, but for some reason he really, strongly felt a need to do this. The words "clean your mate" flitted through his mind.

Damn Dragon Slayer instincts!

He started with Freed's face, being gentle to wipe sweat off his brow and any cum off his lips. Then he leaned over to kiss those lips and got them to hum. That made Laxus smile.

He was glad the lights were off now. This was beyond sappy. It was ridiculous, sponge bathing someone right after sex, yet it was what blared through his mind. He wanted to do this, _needed_ to do this. He knew he was smiling with some mushy, absurd grin that he _sure as hell_ did not want to show to anyone.

Plus, this way, he could watch Freed, and he guessed the lights being off meant Freed was showing faces he might not otherwise. The way his head snuggled deeper into the pillow, the sex-weary smile, the way his short hair stuck out oddly … damn, he wanted to see Freed with his long hair tangled up from sex! He opened his eyes a lot, gazing straight up, obviously enjoying the personal treatment, this little splurge, Laxus catering to him so attentively.

"I could get used to this," Freed mumbled.

"Same here." Laxus allowed another maudlin smile, glad it was hidden from view.

Freed stretched his back and shoulders over the sheets, and Laxus gulped hard. The way he moved, the tautness of his muscles, the self-satisfied hum, was a lot to hit him all at once, and Laxus felt heat pooling deep in his stomach again. His cock seemed to debate about getting hard, but decided this was enough for their first night.

Laxus was extra careful cleaning the flaccid member now resting, flopped to the right. It looked cute as it was now, hiding within its hooded foreskin.

"Should you do this part?" he asked, not sure what was pushing Freed's limits.

There was that same goddamn smirk he so often had that made Laxus' cock again wonder if it was time for another sensual battle. "You can, if you're comfortable with that." He stretched again, and Laxus swore Freed _had_ to realize how that affected him. "I trust you."

"I don't trust myself," Laxus grumbled.

"Oh? Are you thinking about something in particular?"

Laxus made a low grunt, thinking, ' _Yeah, stroking you up firm again and having you pound me into the bed!_ ' Instead, he merely said, "It's not much."

"A shame," Freed said, holding back a laugh as if Laxus couldn't see him clearly. "I'm thinking of plenty of things."

Laxus wanted to know what, yet he feared that if Freed let slip even a single one of his fantasies, all restraints would be scorched away, and he would tackle Freed down to fulfill his desires. Instead, Freed looked perfect satisfied with denying Laxus that knowledge.

"Smug bastard," he grumbled.

"Did you say something?" Freed asked, smiling to himself, obviously knowing precisely what Laxus had said.

"I said I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"Mmm … I did. Very much so," he purred, and Laxus almost cursed at that happy-as-a-fat-cat look spread across the entirety of Freed's body. "Are you done yet? To be honest, I'm getting cold."

Laxus put away the wet cloth and slid into bed beside Freed. The magic on his eyes suddenly went away, and the bedroom grew dark. Freed clung to Laxus' back, momentarily surprising him, but Laxus decided being the little spoon was not such a bad thing. Freed began to caress his brow, slender fingers feeling like velvet over his forehead, and Laxus was out cold in no time.

Freed mused happily to himself at Laxus' heavy breathing, "Like a cat who falls asleep in your lap when you pet him." He liked that comparison, snuggled up against the broad back, and fell into a deep, wonderful sleep.


End file.
